badgers can grow up to 34 inches (86 centimetres) long, and they can weigh up to 39 pounds (18 kilograms)!
badgers are nocturnal. this means that they tend to be asleep during the day, so you are more likely to see them at night.
badgers can sleep for several days at a time during the coldest times of the year, but they do not hibernate.
badgers are social creatures, and many live in groups. these groups are called "clans" or "cetes".
badgers are quite able to adapt to different living conditions, but they prefer open grassland.
that's not the only place you can find them! they are also typically content with sea cliffs, moorland, quarries, and the woods.
badgers live in what are called "setts", which they dig in the ground. leaves and grass are used as bedding.
badgers, being clean animals, also dig a special chamber in their sett which they use as a "bathroom" of sorts.
setts can be centuries old, having been used by many generations of badgers.
most badgers are omnivores. this means they eat plants and meat, rather than just one or the other.
badgers usually eat earthworms and daddy longlegs larvae. they may also eat slugs, snails, fruit, bird eggs, and some small mammals.
the honey badger's scientific name is "mellivora capensis". "mellivora" can be interpreted as "honey eater".
the dachshund breed of dog was bred to hunt small animals including badgers.
"dachshund" is a combination of "dachs" and "hund", the german words for "badger" and "dog".
the badger is the state animal of wisconsin.