Observations of American Badgers, Taxidea taxus (Schreber, 1777) (Mammalia, Carnivora), in a restored tallgrass prairie in Illinois, USA, with a new county record of successful reproduction

American Badgers, Taxidea taxus (Schreber, 1777) are poorly studied relative to other North American carnivores. We report on observations of American Badgers within a restored tallgrass prairie ecosystem owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy in Illinois. We documented badgers at six camera locations, including two prairie restorations restored from row crop agriculture in 2002 and 2015. In addition, we confirmed breeding activity in Ogle County, filling a gap in the known breeding distribution of American Badgers in Illinois. We provide context for these observations and suggestions for future research.

Winter activity patterns of the North American badger (Taxidea taxus) at its northwestern periphery

The North American badger (Taxidea taxus) is a nonhibernating carnivore that occurs in areas with highly seasonal climates, such as in Canada where the animal reaches its northern limits. There, winter climate is harsh and conventional habitat is limited and patchy, possibly leading to additional energetic constraints. Using radiotelemetry and remote cameras, we documented winter activities of 16 badgers (12 females, 4 males) between 2007 and 2011 in British Columbia, at the northwestern periphery of the species’ range. In comparison to their summer ecology, the animals reduced home range sizes by up to 98% and showed fidelity to particular burrows. Burrow fidelity was variable (mean 27 days; range 0–108) and coincided with reduction in body temperatures, suggesting the onset of torpor. Despite lengthy use of the same burrow, badgers emerged frequently and conducted excursions that appeared to represent foraging behavior. Burrow emergence was not related to ambient temperature or snow depth; rather, it was best explained by the amount of days elapsed since the start of winter. Despite these trends, winter activity also was variable among individual badgers. It may be that limited fat reserves and higher energetic costs in northwestern ranges require winter foraging activities.

Primer registro del tlalcoyote (Taxidea taxus) en la Reserva de la Biosfera Sierra Gorda, Guanajuato

ResumenEn el estado de Guanajuato se confirmó la presencia de tlalcoyote (Taxidea taxus) mediante fototrampeo. Estos registros se localizan en la zona de influencia de la Reserva de la Biosfera Sierra Gorda de Guanajuato (RBSGG) y complementan ellistado de mamíferos reportados en la reserva. Los registros más cercanos de tlalcoyote se localizan a 90 km al noroeste en el estado de San Luis Potosíy a 105 km al suroeste del registro colectado en Silao, Guanajuato por Alfredo Dugès en 1874. Es fundamental incluir al tlalcoyote dentro del plan de manejo de la rbsgg con el fin de implementar acciones para su monitoreo y conservación a largo plazo, así como confirmar si en la región puede existir una población establecida y que no se trate de individuos errantes.Palabras clave: cámaras trampa, matorral xerófilo, mustelidae, Sierra Gorda, tejón norteamericano.AbstractIn Guanajuato state is confirmed the presence of tlalcoyote (Taxidea taxus) by camera trapping. These records are located in the influence area of the Sierra Gorda of Guanajuato Biosphere Reserve (RBSGG) and complement the list of mammals reported for the reserve. The nearest tlalcoyote records are located 90 km at northwest in San Luis Potosí state and 105 km at southwest from the recordcollected in Silao, Guanajuato by Alfredo Dugès in 1874. Is essential to include the tlalcoyote within the management plan of the rbsgg to implement actions of monitoring and conservation and confirm that in the region there may be an established population and it’s are not of errant individuals.Key words: American Badger, camera trap, mustelidae, Sierra Gorda, xerophytic scrub.

Hunting associations of American badgers (Taxidea taxus) and coyotes (Canis latrans) revealed by camera trapping

Interspecies foraging associations occur in a wide variety of vertebrate taxa and are maintained through gains in foraging efficiency and (or) predator avoidance. Despite their advantages, foraging associations often are variable in space and time and benefits may not accrue equally to all participants. In mammals, interspecies associations between solitary mammalian carnivores are rare. Coyotes (Canis latrans Say, 1823) and American badgers (Taxidea taxus (Schreber, 1777)) occasionally form hunting associations in pursuit of ground squirrels (Spermophilus armatus Kennicott, 1863), yet spatiotemporal variation in this association may be substantial. Better documentation of coyote–badger interactions across space and time will improve our understanding of the environmental drivers of this relationship and its benefit to both species. We used a broad-scale camera trapping array to document coyote–badger hunting associations. Out of 46 detections of badgers, we found five instances of hunting associations with coyotes, all of which occurred in mid- to late summer when ground squirrels were most active. Given our high rate of detection, these interactions are likely common on our study area. Habitat characteristics of the regions where we document coyote–badger interactions may have increased the likelihood of hunting associations. Our study demonstrates the effectiveness of camera traps for documenting this association and suggests that the coyote–badger system may be ideal for studying drivers of spatiotemporal variation in foraging associations.

When generalists behave as specialists: local specialization by American badgers (Taxidea taxus)

Differentiating species according to their relative niche breadth is a common approach in community ecology that can enhance understanding about how species relate to the environment. Although a species might exhibit a generalized ecology across its entire range, on a local scale, individuals might function as specialists. American badgers (Taxidea taxus (Schreber, 1777)) are terrestrial carnivores that have been described most often as generalists. We compared patterns of habitat selection by badgers at three scales to test the hypothesis that badgers would exhibit behaviors more closely aligned with specialists than generalists when inhabiting landscapes with black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus (Ord, 1815)). At a course scale, badgers selected for prairie dog colonies across the landscape. At an intermediate scale, we documented significantly greater use of prairie dog colonies within the home ranges of badgers. At fine scales within colonies, badgers used areas that had relatively high densities of prairie dog burrows, where prey was presumably abundant. On multiple scales, badgers exhibited a narrow use of resources in comparison with the resources available. Our study provides additional evidence that badgers behave as specialists when burrowing rodents are highly concentrated and predictable over space and time.