American Badgers

[Ground State]

I was driving home this afternoon from Rochester to Buffalo along I-90 and unmistakably saw a badger dead at the side of the road. I had no idea there were badgers in western New York and it got me thinking about Ontario. I think I remember as a kid the old mammal guide for Algonquin Park (the brown one with the otter on the front cover from the mid-80s) having a profile of badgers in it. Sure enough, a quick Google search revealed this website:

http://www.ontariobadgers.com

Looks very interesting!! But the site does not give out any locality information, leaving me enormously curious: does anyone know where in Ontario there may be remnant populations of American badgers??

[Pat Hodgson]

Quoting from NHIC web site:
https://www.biodiversityexplorer.mnr.go ... lID=180730

Occurs in two discrete populations, both disjunct from other populations in Canada. Northwest Ontario population restricted to western Rainy River District and comprises approximately 900 square km. Somewhat larger southwestern Ontario population found on major outwash sand plains, primarily within the Carolinian Region and comprising approximately 7200 square km, but within which there is much unsuitable or unoccupied habitat.

Much more detail in this large pdf:
http://www.ontla.on.ca/library/reposito ... 290943.pdf
Looks like the main area is around Long Point.

[lovemypt]

Just to follow up on Mr Hodgson reply, yes we do have a very small badger population in Ontario and they are confined to the areas along the Lake Erie shoreline and in small groups.  These animals are more active at dusk / dawn and overnight and very elusive so alot is not known about their habits. Unfortunately most specimens are usually found as road kills and not seen about in their habitat. I have not personally ever seen one but I knew someone who was studying them with the MNR many years ago when I worked there. I have not hear about any populations up north but it could be possible, my work area was southern and central Ontario only.