This informative post will be published on Saturday in place of my regular one.  You are invited to participate with the opening question.

Brain Teaser Question

What word contains 26 letters but only has three syllables?

(answer found at the end of this post)

Featured Facts

Many of America’s animals have cousins who are found in other parts of the world.  This is the case with the badger.

Here are some interesting facts about the American badger:

• Height/Weight:  at the shoulder, 12 inches (30 cm), 15-30 pounds
• Lifespan:  around 10 years
• Habitat:  open plains, prairies, and grasslands
• Diet:  small mammals (such as mice, gophers, rabbits), earthworms, insects, roots, grasses, and fruit

A badger’s appearance is characterized by stripped faces and thick bodies.  The length of an adult is usually between 2 and 3 feet (.6 to .9 m).  A group of them is called a clan or cete.  The youngsters are named cubs or pups, while the adult males are called boars and females as sows.

Badgers are known for their fierce bite.  Their lower jaw has the ability to clamp down securely and tightly.  Designed for digging, their front paws feature long, sharp claws, which can dig quickly when searching for prey hiding underground.

A badger’s home consists of underground burrows (called setts or dens).  The tunnels may run up to 10 feet below the ground’s surface, and some may exceed 30 feet in length.  There is room for sleeping, storing food, and giving birth.

Badgers are nocturnal hunters, and they generally live as solitary creatures.  They face a variety of predators, such as wolves, coyotes, mountain lions, foxes, and even eagles and hawks.  Most will prey upon their small cubs in open areas, away from the much safer den.  In addition, man has bred his own predator–the Dachshund.  Used particularly in Europe, their name translates from the German language as “badger dog.”

starting left and clockwise: at the den’s entrance, a badger defends it against several dachshunds.  a single badger surveying the scene from his den.  a pair of badgers.  (photographs courtesy of pinterest.)

Answer to Brain Teaser Question

The alphabet