Irvine Ranch Conservancy
  • Home
  • What We Do
    • Programs
    • Program Delivery
    • Landmarks Blog
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Our Partners
    • Careers
    • Contact Us
  • Volunteer
  • Donate

Badgers Coming Back to Orange County

7/4/2014

 
Picture
A sighting of the elusive American badger means good news for local habitat.

An American badger was reported in February near OC Parks’ Santiago Oaks Regional Park in Orange, the first local sighting in nearly a decade. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife lists the animal as a “species of special concern,” meaning that while it is not threatened or endangered, its population has been in serious decline.

On par with the coyote and bobcat, the badger is a top predator, and evidence that the mammal resides in Orange County wilderness is a good sign of the overall health of the local ecosystem. Badgers are efficient predators of both small mammals and rodents, whose populations are higher due to the variety and abundance of food in their habitat. The health of badgers at the top of the food chain indicates health at the bottom of the food chain as well.

Badgers are solitary and nomadic animals with very large territories for their size, rarely staying any longer than a few nights in one area before moving on.. The badger spotted this year was flimed by the Baker family of Orange, and Irvine Ranch Conservancy volunteer John Ganahl notified the Conservancy. In the video, the badger is seen hunting for prey, digging after it, and then eating the unlucky rodent. Irvine Ranch Conservancy scientists reviewed the footage and confirmed the sighting. 

 “Badgers are so rare and elusive, we were surprised to see the video,” said Irvine Ranch Conservancy Director of Science & Stewardship Dr. Jutta Burger. “Without a confirmed sighting for so long, and no evidence of badgers from the wildlife monitoring cameras we have stationed throughout the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks, we thought badgers were no longer living in our area”. 

The American Badger is a medium-sized carnivore (12-24 pounds) and a member of the weasel family. They are short, wide, and stocky, with a distinctive black and white face. Most of a badger’s physical features, like their 1 ½-inch claws, are specifically adapted for digging. They dig burrows for shelter, rearing their young, and they also hunt much of their prey by digging for them. Badgers dig burrow entrances in an oval shape (8-12 inches at the widest part), rather than a circular hole, and are found mostly in grasslands and open areas. 

If you see a wide, oval burrow entrance along a trail or think you may have seen a badger, reporting the sighting will help land managers track the population. It is critical to not disturb the animal or its burrow in any way. Reports of sightings (with locations and pictures, if available) can be sent to info@irconservancy.org. 

The best thing you can do to help encourage the return of more badgers is to participate in habitat restoration. Restoring healthy habitat can help ensure the success of the badger on the Landmarks. If you would like more information about volunteering, visit www.LetsGoOutside.org/Activities and select the Stewardship category at the top of the activities listing.

Comments are closed.

    About

    Welcome to the Irvine Ranch Conservancy "News from the Field" blog. These articles are written by Conservancy staff about activities and projects in and near the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks. 

    Archives

    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012

    Categories

    All
    Agua Chinon
    Baker Canyon
    Big Canyon
    Birds
    Black Star Canyon
    Bommer Canyon
    Buck Gully
    City Of Irvine
    City Of Newport Beach
    Crystal Cove
    Dripping Springs
    Equestrian
    Family Friendly
    Fire
    Fire Watch
    Fremont Canyon
    Grasslands
    Habitat Restoration
    Hicks Haul Road
    Hiking & Fitness
    Interpretive
    Invasive Plants
    Irvine Open Space Preserve
    Irvine Ranch Open Space
    Irvine Regional Park
    Laguna Coast
    Limestone Canyon
    Mesa Loop
    Mountain Biking
    Native Plant Nursery
    Native Plants
    Native Seed Farm
    Nighttime
    OC Parks
    OC Zoo
    O'Neill Regional Park
    Orchard Hills
    Peters Canyon Regional Park
    Quail Hill
    Red Rocks
    Round Canyon
    Safety
    San Joaquin
    Santiago Oaks Regional Park
    Stewardship
    The Sinks
    Tracking
    Trails
    Trail Work
    Upper Newport Bay
    Volunteers
    Weir Canyon
    Wilderness Access Day
    Wildflowers
    Wildlife

    RSS Feed

Irvine Ranch Conservancy  •  4727 Portola Pkwy. Irvine, CA 92620  •  714-508-4757  •  info@irconservancy.org

© 2016 Irvine Ranch Conservancy, All Rights Reserved.   Irvine Ranch Conservancy reserves all rights under copyright, including (without limitation) rights to photographs. No permission to copy or publish any portion of this web
site or any material posted on the website is granted without the express written permission of Irvine Ranch Conservancy. 
  • Home
  • What We Do
    • Programs
    • Program Delivery
    • Landmarks Blog
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Our Partners
    • Careers
    • Contact Us
  • Volunteer
  • Donate