Badger
(Adopted 1957)

The Badger has a distinctive black and white face and a white stripe from its nose to its shoulders. The wide, flat body is yellowish gray, becoming more yellowish on the tail and belly. It has a short black legs with extremely long front claws, which it uses for digging rodents from the ground. It feeds on ground squirrels, gophers, rats, mice, birds, and even rattlesnakes. Its long hair protects it from snakebites, unless a snake strikes it directly on the nose. The Badger forages day and night but is more nocturnal where it is threatened by humans. It can weigh up to 25 pounds and defends itself well when cornered.