Padd Solutions

Badger.

We all know that he's the Amarillo College mascot. Billy is his name and he's been around since the school was founded in 1929.

Other than that, few of us know very much about the mysterious creatures. Sure, I could identify a badger if I saw one in a lineup, but before beginning my extensive badger research, I couldn't tell you any specifics.

I was recently talked into helping out with the creation of a badger video for the Ranger Online (which will be posted in the very near future). The video more or less features students who remain completely baffled by badgers and myself dancing around in the beloved badger suit. Not the most informational bit, but high in entertainment value!

After working on the video, though, I really started wondering about the badger...

So, fellow AC students, are you ready to learn what badgers really are?

• According to Animal Diversity Web, most North American badgers reside in the Great Plains region of North America. They can also be found in the western United States, certain areas of Canada and in the southern mountainous areas of Mexico.
  

• Badgers prefer to burrow in dry open fields or pastures.

• They are pretty lazy. Mostly nocturnal and, though they don't actually hibernate, they tend to be highly inactive during the winter months or when it is cold. (Is it just me, or does all of this sound like a typical college student? Our mascot is relevant!)

• Don't be fooled by the adorable face, badgers can be ferocious little beasts. Only a few badgers (no more than five) live in the same 2.5 mile range. They are solitary and they can be territorial.
  

• Badgers are digging machines. Aside from being great for ripping into an intruder, those scary claws can help a badger tunnel through dirt incredibly fast. Animal Diversity Web says there have even been accounts of badgers tunneling up through blacktop pavement and two-inch thick concrete. What!?!
  

• Males are boars, females are sows and the kiddos are called cubs.

• Badgers are primarily carnivorous, munching on rodents most of the time. They particularly enjoy squirrel, prairie dog and gopher for supper, but also eat insects, berries and seeds. You will probably never see a badger chasing down prey in a field, though. They usually hunt under ground, tunneling at a high speed toward innocent rodents who only think they are safe in their home. Bwah ha ha.

• The average lifespan of a wild badger is only around five years, but they have been known to live up to 26 years in captivity.
  

• The average number of offspring for a badger is three.

• Badgers can grow to be about 2.5 feet long and a foot tall.

• To those willing to take a stab at imitating badger noises, thank you for being as willing as myself to humiliate yourself for the entire world to see on the Internet. In fact, badgers make most of the noises all of you came up with...and then some! The badger language consists of about 16 unique calls, according to Badgerland. A variety of purrs, yelps and clicking noises are made by adult badgers while cubs enjoy cooing, squealing, wailing and chirping.

Any other badger questions? Check out the sites that I have linked above, or ask me! I'll do my best to dig up the answer, badger-style.