Although you may be aware of the hardworking men and women who travelled across the west to search for gold and riches, perhaps you may not be as well acquainted with the hard workers also below the ground, quickly working like a high-speed digging machine to look for food or creating burrows to live in?
Badgers, or the subfamily Taxidiinae that includes the American badger most commonly found in the wild west, are known for their shy but also defensive nature when it comes to their territory and loved ones. They belong to the family Mustelidae, notable for other animals such as weasels, otters, skunks, and wolverines. These mostly nocturnal creatures spend their days sleeping in their underground dens, coming out to hunt or forage for food such as worms, berries, but also small animals such as mice or birds.
As explorers started to arrive and expand across the land, badgers were documented by famous figures such as Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, noting down these creatures as "its fur composed of bristly hairs" with their eyes being "small black and piercing". Often times, they were compared to something like a bear or small dog, specifically the shape and size of their head but with slightly differing factors.
Meanwhile a little while later, expansion journeys that settlers would embark on wouldn't come across badgers too often despite possibly being nearby under the ground. On one hand, this was good as they would control the population underground from creatures like mice or prairie dogs who would destroy crops, but they also weren't afraid to act threatened and attack things bigger than them. Their burrows inside the ground also loosen up the ground, causing holes if someone were to step on top of them, risking twisting an ankle or destroying the land, and was a danger for both humans and other animals.
Badgers can be found in Native American folklore, particularly within the Pueblo tribes, seen as an animal of hardworking, protective, and even healing mystic. A badger even served as a symbol for some tribes, resembling as their clan animal and a cultural impact on their family. Unfortunately, due to them being in the same Family as wolverines, some folklore mistake badgers for wolverines that was lost in the translating of the stories. Both of these creatures were also hunted and trapped for sport and their pelts, mostly for warm clothing and items like paintbrushes.
At the end of the day, there were many species that were still apart of the wild west, yet maybe not as noticeable as you would have guessed, sometimes even hiding right below your feet. Badgers continued their quiet, determined work of digging, hunting, and surviving in a world that was rapidly changing above their heads. Though they aren't usually given the spotlight due to their aggressive and unique nature and looks, these small but powerful creatures are still a fascinating part of the west's rich history.
Badgers, or the subfamily Taxidiinae that includes the American badger most commonly found in the wild west, are known for their shy but also defensive nature when it comes to their territory and loved ones. They belong to the family Mustelidae, notable for other animals such as weasels, otters, skunks, and wolverines. These mostly nocturnal creatures spend their days sleeping in their underground dens, coming out to hunt or forage for food such as worms, berries, but also small animals such as mice or birds.
As explorers started to arrive and expand across the land, badgers were documented by famous figures such as Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, noting down these creatures as "its fur composed of bristly hairs" with their eyes being "small black and piercing". Often times, they were compared to something like a bear or small dog, specifically the shape and size of their head but with slightly differing factors.
Meanwhile a little while later, expansion journeys that settlers would embark on wouldn't come across badgers too often despite possibly being nearby under the ground. On one hand, this was good as they would control the population underground from creatures like mice or prairie dogs who would destroy crops, but they also weren't afraid to act threatened and attack things bigger than them. Their burrows inside the ground also loosen up the ground, causing holes if someone were to step on top of them, risking twisting an ankle or destroying the land, and was a danger for both humans and other animals.
Badgers can be found in Native American folklore, particularly within the Pueblo tribes, seen as an animal of hardworking, protective, and even healing mystic. A badger even served as a symbol for some tribes, resembling as their clan animal and a cultural impact on their family. Unfortunately, due to them being in the same Family as wolverines, some folklore mistake badgers for wolverines that was lost in the translating of the stories. Both of these creatures were also hunted and trapped for sport and their pelts, mostly for warm clothing and items like paintbrushes.
At the end of the day, there were many species that were still apart of the wild west, yet maybe not as noticeable as you would have guessed, sometimes even hiding right below your feet. Badgers continued their quiet, determined work of digging, hunting, and surviving in a world that was rapidly changing above their heads. Though they aren't usually given the spotlight due to their aggressive and unique nature and looks, these small but powerful creatures are still a fascinating part of the west's rich history.
