Can you dig it? Badger captured on camera burying cow

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/mar/31/can-you-dig-it-badger-captured-on-camera-burying-cow?CMP=share_btn_tw

Subterranean caching of domestic cow (Bos taurus) carcasses by American badgers (Taxidea taxus) in the Great Basin Desert, Utah

Ethan H. Frehner, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UTFollow
Evan R. Buechley, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UTFollow
Tara Christensen, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UTFollow
Çağan H. Şekercioğlu, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UTFollow

Abstract

Camera traps documented 2 solitary American badgers (Taxidea taxus) independently caching juvenile domestic cow (Bos taurus) carcasses during late winter 2016 in the Great Basin Desert of Utah. One carcass was partially buried and the other was entirely buried. Both badgers constructed dens alongside their cache, where they slept, fed, and spent up to 11 days continuously underground. They abandoned the sites 41 and 52 days after initial discovery. While badgers are known to scavenge and to cache small food items underground, this is the first evidence of an American badger caching an animal carcass larger than itself.


Cámaras de caza grabaron a dos independientes y solitarios Tejónes Americanos (Taxidea taxus) almacenando cadáveres de becerro (Bos taurus) a finales del invierno del 2016 en el Desierto del Gran Barreño (Great Basin) de Utah. Uno de los cadáveres de becerro fue enterrado parcialmente mientras que el otro fue completamente enterrado. Ambos tejònes construyeron madrigueras junto a su almacén, donde durmieron, comieron y pasaron once días continuos bajo tierra. Después de este descubrimiento inicial los dos abandonaron sus escondites después de 41 y 52 días. Aunque a los tejònes les conocen por buscar carroña y almacenar alimentos pequeños bajo la tierra, esta es la primera evidencia de un tejón Americano almacenando el cadáver de un animal más grande que el mismo.

Recommended Citation

Frehner, Ethan H.; Buechley, Evan R.; Christensen, Tara; and Şekercioğlu, Çağan H. (2017) "Subterranean caching of domestic cow (Bos taurus) carcasses by American badgers (Taxidea taxus) in the Great Basin Desert, Utah," Western North American Naturalist: Vol. 77 : No. 1 , Article 13.
Available at: http://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/wnan/vol77/iss1/13

Additional Files

Frehner Supplementary Data S1.mov (45303 kB)
Time-lapse video of Site 6, showing a solitary badger completely burying the carcass of a juvenile cow.