Badgers are a group of small-to-medium mammals best known for their sturdy bodies, short legs, and bold facial stripes. Most “true badgers” belong to the family Mustelidae (the weasel family), and they have evolved powerful digging limbs, broad paws, and thick fur to survive in very different environments—from European woodlands to Southeast Asian forests. Below you’ll find a practical guide to 17 types commonly referred to as badgers, with quick notes on where they live and how to recognize them.
What Is a Badger?
Badgers are generally low-slung mammals with wide bodies, strong shoulders, and short, dense coats. Many species have the classic “mask” pattern: dark facial bands with pale stripes that run from the nose toward the ears. Most badgers are excellent diggers and use burrows for shelter, raising young, and avoiding predators. Diet varies by species—some are largely insect-eaters, others are omnivores, and a few are famously fearless predators.
1) European Badger (Meles meles)
Range and habitat
Also called the common badger, this is one of the best-known badgers across Europe and parts of Asia. It favors mixed woodlands, forest edges, and farmland mosaics where it can dig extensive burrow systems.
Size and features
Body length: about 60–80 cm (excluding tail)
Weight: roughly 11–13 kg
It has a small, triangular head, short broad legs, and particularly strong hindquarters. Breeding success can be high, with litters commonly reported in the range of 2–6 cubs.
2) Northern Hog Badger (Arctonyx albogularis)
Often called a “pig badger” because of its snout shape, this species occurs mainly in parts of China and India. It typically has a dark gray coat with white facial striping. Compared with the European badger, it is generally smaller and is known for a coat that can feel softer—becoming rougher in winter.
3) Bornean Ferret-badger (Melogale everetti)
As its name suggests, this species lives on the island of Borneo. Its fur is usually very dark gray to brown. While it spends much of its time on the ground, it can climb trees well to reach prey. It may also use abandoned burrows left behind by other animals.
4) Sumatran Hog Badger (Arctonyx hoevenii)
This hog badger is endemic to Sumatra. It is small—often compared to a domestic cat in overall size—and has a long, pig-like snout used to root through soil and leaf litter for insects, roots, and other food. Its darker coat helps it blend into the dense tropical vegetation where it lives.
5) Burmese Ferret-badger (Melogale personata)
A mostly nocturnal species, the Burmese ferret-badger rests in burrows or natural shelters during the day. It is an opportunistic feeder with a varied diet that can include frogs, worms, insects, small rodents, fruit, and eggs. This flexibility helps it persist in tropical forests and mountainous areas of Southeast Asia.
6) Honey Badger (Mellivora capensis)
The honey badger (also called the ratel) is famous for its bold temperament and powerful jaws. It has a strong preference for honey—often breaking into hives to eat honey and sometimes the bees themselves. However, it will eat almost anything it can find, including insects, small animals, and even carrion. In agricultural areas, it may repeatedly return to food sources despite deterrents.
7) Formosan Ferret-badger (Melogale subaurantiaca)
This species is endemic to Taiwan. It typically produces 1–2 young per year. In some regions, it has been associated with notable impacts from rabies, which can affect local wildlife populations and monitoring efforts.
8) Japanese Badger (Meles anakuma)
The Japanese badger has a coat that tends to look more brown than the gray commonly associated with many other badger species. It is described as strongly solitary, coming together mainly during the breeding season rather than forming long-term pairs. Some accounts describe the species as breeding more than once within a year, with reproductive timing influenced by stored sperm and delayed fertilization strategies.
9) Vietnamese Ferret-badger (Melogale cucphuongensis)
This is one of the least-known ferret-badgers. Only a small number of live individuals have been observed, and formal studies are limited. It has been suggested that heavy hunting pressure in parts of Vietnam may contribute to how rarely it is seen.
10) Greater Hog Badger (Arctonyx collaris)
The greater hog badger is found in parts of Thailand, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Cambodia. It can live in forests and grasslands and may scavenge on carrion when food is scarce.
Typical weight: about 7–14 kg
Body length: up to about 60 cm
Wild lifespan: around 14 years (often cited)
11) Chinese Ferret-badger (Melogale moschata)
Found in China and broader parts of eastern Asia (with reports extending to islands such as Borneo and Java in some discussions), this ferret-badger can appear very pale beige—almost golden—though brown individuals also occur. Like many mustelids, it has a low body and short legs. Historically, its fur has been valued in the fur trade.
12) Asian Badger (Meles leucurus)
The Asian badger occurs in regions including Korea, Russia, China, and Kazakhstan. It is often lighter in color than the European badger, sometimes showing pale or even slightly golden tones. Although it may be smaller overall, it has been noted for relatively large molars compared with some other badger species.
13) Javan Ferret-badger (Melogale orientalis)
Endemic to Java (Indonesia), this species is generally nocturnal but may also be active in the late afternoon or evening. In areas where it has become accustomed to human presence—such as parks—it may show reduced shyness and approach visitors for food.
14) Palawan Stink Badger (Mydaus marchei)
Despite the name “badger,” stink badgers are a separate lineage that also uses strong odor as a defense. The Palawan stink badger is mostly nocturnal, solitary, and rarely seen. It may forage in cultivated agricultural areas for fruits and vegetables and can also occur in grasslands and scrub habitats.
15) American Badger (Taxidea taxus)
Also called: tlalcoyote (in some regions)
The American badger has a bold facial “mask” and a white stripe that can extend along the spine. It has a short neck, broad body, and very wide, powerful forelimbs built for digging. It is among the larger badger types.
Weight: can reach around 15 kg
Key traits: strong digging claws, small rounded ears, thick-set build
16) Malayan Stink Badger (Mydaus javanensis)
Endemic to parts of Malaysia and Indonesia, this animal is known for a distinctive white hair tuft that runs between the eyes and toward the back of the head. It feeds mainly on insects, small vertebrates, and carrion, and it may also eat fruit occasionally. When threatened, it releases a strong odor similar to skunks.
17) “Mexican Badger” / White-nosed Coati (Nasua narica)
In some places, the white-nosed coati has historically been called a “Mexican badger,” but it is not a true badger. It belongs to a different group and was given that nickname because early observers associated it with familiar badgers from Europe. It is omnivorous and eats eggs, fruits, tender stems, insects, small rodents, snakes, acorns, and nuts. It lives in parts of North America and Central America, with a strong presence in Mexico.
How to Tell Badgers Apart: Quick Field Clues
Look at the snout and body shape
Hog badgers (Arctonyx) often have a more pig-like snout for rooting.
True badgers (Meles, Taxidea) tend to look broad, low, and heavily built for digging.
Ferret-badgers (Melogale) are usually smaller and more slender, sometimes better climbers.
Stink badgers (Mydaus) rely on odor defense and are not typical “mustelid badgers.”
Use geography as a shortcut
Europe: European badger
North America: American badger
Java/Sumatra/Borneo/Taiwan: several ferret-badgers and hog badgers
Palawan: Palawan stink badger
