Badger Facts - Body


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The Badger’s Body - The Outside

The colour of the badger’s coat is quite consistent; usually the well known white and black. There are a few (often localised) colours such as ginger brown and ginger red. If there is a patch of discolouration in the coat this may be because of scars from fighting where the coat has grown back slightly darker or lighter. The hairs on the badger’s coat have been used over the centuries to make shaving brushes because they have the perfect amount of spring and strength. Fortunately, this brushes are now mostly made from synthetic hairs, but a few expensive brushes are still imported, largely from China.

It is difficult to sex badgers in the wild. Often, the only way to tell is if the female is seen feeding cubs or if there are visible scars on the male’s body from fighting other badgers.

The badger’s teeth first appear when the cub is about a month old and the cub will have it’s adult set when it is four months old. Teeth are a good indication of a badger’s age, but it varies based on the area. For example, a particular food may be more plentiful in a certain area, so may wear the badger’s teeth down more.

The badger has short legs which help it to keep it’s nose close to the ground when it feeds. This also makes it easier for the badger to excavate tunnels. The tail is also short.

Despite it’s short legs, the badger can run very quickly in short bursts and can swim well.