Animals Like Badgers | 17 Animals Similar To Badgers

Badgers have many distinctive features in their general appearance and their behavior pattern. Still, many animals in the world also exhibit the same properties as badgers do. In this article, we are going to highlight all the animals like badgers or animals similar to badgers.

Mustelid family

Before going deep into this article, let me tell you something about the mustelid family. There are almost 65 distinct species in this family and the most prominent among these are weasels, ferrets, badgers, martens, wolverines, otters, skunks, etc. They exist all over the world except in places like Antarctica and Australia. These are small animals that vary based on their body shape and the size of their legs or tail. These animals have small eyes and short faces with round ears. They come with dense but soft fur and that’s the main commercial aspect in the hunting of these animals.

These are omnivore animals but preferably eat meat. These are naturally aggressive and agile animals. They are good predators and capable of even killing many large and dangerous preys. These animals might have poor eyesight but they are perfect for smelling and hearing sense. These release special musk or scent from their anal glands as a warning sign to keep off predators.

Let’s discuss other badger-type animals that also exhibit the same features as badgers.

Animals that look like badgers

Several animals exhibit the same properties as badgers. Let’s discuss these animals one by one.

1) Otters

These are the mammals that you can mostly find in Europe, Asia, and North and South America. These animals like to eat fish, frogs, and crabs. The size of the otter varies from one specie to another. But it normally exists in the range between 2 to 5 feet. The life span varies from 10 to 20 years. They have short limbs and fur-covered bodies same as badgers.

But otters are slim body animals as compared to stout body of badgers. They like to spend most of their time near any water body to keep their fur waterlogged. They are not nocturnal animals and remain active throughout the day above ground.

2) Weasels

It is a small mammal that is carnivorous by nature and very fond of rodents. They mainly exist in Eurasia, Africa, and North America. On average, they are 12-14 inches long and with just a tail of 2-3 inches. They have a long head, short limbs, and fur-covered bodies same as badgers.

Winter is their favorite season. They don’t make their own dens and like to occupy the dens of other animals. The average life span of the weasel is 7-8 years. They also release special scents from their glands for marking their territory.

3) Minks

A semiaquatic animal that is very well known for its glossy but dark fur. The fur of the minks has a lot of commercial significance and they are specially bred in minks farms for this purpose. On average, the life span of minks varies between 5 to 10 years. They are fish, bird, and eggs lover. A mink can be 12 to 18 inches long and weigh around 1 to 4 pounds.

On average, they can produce 16 kits as compared to just 1 to 5 cubs by badgers at a time. The species usually exist in the areas like American and European continents. They are territorial in nature same as badgers but they remain active throughout the day rather than at the night.

4. Fisher

A very tall but small mammal 10 to 47 inches in length and weigh around 4 to 13 pounds. They can easily walk across the snow as they have much larger feet. The body shape is almost the same as a badger. They like to take a mixed diet of both meat and fruit.

They mainly exist in the forests of North America and mainly reside in hollow trees. Like badgers, they can also produce 1 to 4 kits at a time. On average, they can live up to 10 years. They like to do all the activities in the daytime rather than in the nighttime.

5. Wolverines

It is a heavyweight mammal that has a fully fur-covered body. It is just 2-3 feet tall but weighs around 20 to 55 pounds. They are fearless mammals like badgers and like to challenge very large animals. They kill a lot of mammals but scavenging is their main habit. They rely more on carrion rather than live prey.

They are mostly found in the alpine and arctic habitats. They are very tough animals and can easily make dens in snowy areas. Many times badgers encounter wolverines. However, if a fight happens between them then there are more chances that wolverine will overpower badgers.

See our article for Badger Vs Wolverine

6. Stink badgers

Stink badgers or false badgers are also a part of the skunk family. Physically, they are very much the same as badgers and also release a very fouling smell. It is a nocturnal and omnivore mammal that mainly resides in the Asian continent. Like badgers, worms and insects are the favorite diets of stink badgers.

They are 13 to 20 inches long and weigh around 2 to 8 pounds. The life span of the stink badgers varies between 10 to 16 years. These are endangered or you can say vulnerable species.

7. Kinkajou

Kinkajou or honey bears are short snouts having round ears. They are furry mammal who likes to make a home in rainforests. They are nocturnal in nature and mainly rely on fruits for their diet. Being good climbers, they make their homes on the trees where they remain for a much longer period.

The life span of the kinkajou also varies between 20 to 30 years. They are 3 to 10 inches long and weigh anywhere around 3 to 10 pounds. They come with a very long tail. Like badgers, they also release scents from their glands and are very playful animals.

8. Raccoons

These are North American mammals and like to live in forest-type habitats but you can also see them in urban areas. Like badgers, they are nocturnal animals and like to eat insects and worms. They have a very short lifestyle in the wilderness but they can live up to 25 years in captivity.

They like to forage alone but overall prefer social groups. They are 16 to 28 inches long and weigh anywhere around 7 to 20 pounds. These are very mammals and easily adapt themselves to any kind of environment.

9. Civets

Civets are omnivore mammals who reside in the mountains and woodlands of Africa and Asia. These are small limbed and round ears mammals having a furry bodies. They also like to eat fruits. They are 17 to 28 inches long and the tail is also a little bit longer than other mammals. They are not heavy and weigh anywhere around 3 to 10 pounds. They have white stripes throughout the black-furred body. They release a very sweet smell and on average live up to 20 years.

10. Olingos

They have a very close relationship with raccoons and also like to live in rainforest-type areas. They have short limbs and round ears like badgers. They are herbivores and also like to eat fruit. They also make their homes in the rainforests and keep themselves safe from many dangerous predators.

They are 14 to 17 inches and weigh anywhere around 2 to 3 pounds. They release a very strong odor from their anal glands when they feel threatened. They have short claws which they mainly use for climbing rather than digging like badgers. The life span of the Olingos varies between 10 to 25 years.

11. Skunk

Skunks have a lot of similarities with stink badgers. They release a very strong smelly liquid when feel threatened. They rely on eggs, fruits, and meat. They reside in both woodlands as well as grasslands. They are 15 to 37 inches long and weigh anywhere around 2 to 10 pounds.

Like badgers, they have muscular bodies and sharp claws which makes them perfect diggers. The lifespan of the skunk varies between 3 to 15 years. Like badgers, they are nocturnal animals and spend most of the winter period inside their homes.

12. Mongoose

These are the round face and very cute animals with round eyes and ears. They have short limbs like badgers as well as a fur coats. They have almost 34 different species in the world that vary in terms of size, weight, height, etc. They are 7 to 28 inches long and weigh around 5 to 10 pounds.

Like badgers, they like to reside in areas like grasslands, and open fields in Africa and Europe. Insects, reptiles, and plants are among their favorite food. By having long claws, they like to dig more often like badgers. However, they like to socialize a lot and mostly in a pack of as many as 30 animals. On average, they live for 10 to 12 years.

13. Ferrets

Ferrets are not fully wild animals. They are domesticated animals and have mostly been kept as pets since ancient times. They belong to the same family as badgers and are mainly spotted in several remote areas of New Zealand. They are carnivore animals and like to eat live prey. They dance a lot and make clucking noises when they are fully excited.

On average, they are 20 inches long and weigh around 2 to 5 pounds. They have round ears and tiny limbs like badgers. But they are smaller in terms of size. On average, they live between 5 to 10 years.

14. Polecats

Polecats have a lot of similarities with animals like skunks and ferrets. They like to live in dry climates in Europe and Africa. You can find them in the grasslands of Europe and savannas of Africa. Several species of polecats mainly vary in terms of their color. They are 11 to 18 inches long and weigh anywhere around 1 to 5 pounds.

Like badgers, they are nocturnal and territorial by nature and mostly like to eat animals like snakes, birds, rodents, etc. On average, they live around 10 to 15 years.

15. Martens

There are a lot of similarities between badgers and martens. For instance, they are omnivores and change their diet according to season and mostly rely on birds, fruits, and small mammals. They also have similar ears to badgers but have retractable claws and bushy tails.

They are short-limbed animals having very less weight anywhere around 1 to 3 pounds. Although they are 20 to 28 inches long. Some of their species also exhibit nocturnal properties like a badger but most of them remain active throughout the day. They also partially hibernate during the winter but they don’t put in a lot of fat as a preparation for the winter season.

16. Meerkat

A small animal that mainly resides in Africa. It has a lot of similarities with the mongoose. You can easily identify them from their long tails and striped coats. They like to socialize and mostly live with a pack of 30 animals. They are very famous for their “sentinel duty” in which they stand upright on their hind legs and search for predators.

They are very small animals having just a weight of 2 pounds and mainly rely on reptiles and insects. They are diurnal animals and mostly remain active throughout the day.

17. Stoat

The stoat mainly resides in the European region mainly in Ireland region. They also belong to the mustelid family. They have black & white striped body just like badgers. They are very small animals having small heads and red-colored fur on their whole body.

Frequently asked questions

Conclusion

Several badger-type animals show some resemblance with badgers to some extent. We have made a list of these animals and all of these animals have been briefly explained. By going through this article, you can clarify your idea about all of the badger relatives or animals similar to badgers. Some animals like skunks and polecats show a lot of similarities with badgers as compared to others who show less resemblance.