MUSTELIDJE. MELINJE. TAXIDEA. 503 



North America, while the two races that are found in Mexico differ 

 very materially in their markings and also in color. The burrows 

 made by these animals are often extensive, and in loose soil are 

 twenty feet or more in length ; and as the animal digs with wonderful 

 rapidity, it does not take it long to construct such a burrow and bury 

 itself out of sight. Badgers are chiefly nocturnal and omnivorous, 

 eating mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, fruits, in fact anything they 

 may obtain that can be regarded as food. They are very ferocious, 

 and great fighters when cornered, but their first idea when an enemy 

 appears is to get back to the burrow as quickly as possible, and an 

 individual never leaves this haven of refuge unless everything is 

 quiet and no enemy in sight. So great is this animal's strength that 

 the largest dog would find it difficult, if not impossible, to pull a 

 badger out of his burrow, as it grasps the sides with feet and nails, 

 and becomes about as immovable as the walls themselves. It has 

 hardly any enemy but man that it need fear, its great strength and 

 facility in digging affording it means of rapid escape from any car- 

 nivorous beast that dwells in the same region. Badgers hibernate in 

 high latitudes. 



Subfam. I. Melinae. 

 Large quadrate posterior upper molar; molars in jaws unequal. 



96. Taxidea. Badgers. 



Taxidea Waterh., Proc. Zool. Soc., 1838, p. 154. Type Meles 

 labradoria Gmelin. 



Body stout, strong, depressed; tail short; upper carnassial longest 

 in proportion to other teeth, upper molar triangular, the apex turned 

 backward; fore claws very large, strong; skull wedge-shaped, widest 

 posteriorly; limbs short, feet sub-plantigrade; anal glands two; sub- 

 caudal pouch surrounded by a racemose gland. 



KEY TO THE SUBSPECIES. 



A. White median stripe from nose to tail. 



a. Black interramial spot; under parts of body PAGE 

 buff .................................. T. t. berlandieri 503 



b. No interramial spot; under parts of body 



tawny white .............................. T. t. injusca 505 



taxus berlandieri (Taxidea), Baird, Mamm. N. Amer., 1857, p. 205. 

 Elliot, Syn. N. Am. Mamm., 1901, p. 321. 



