A badger's front paws are extraordinary digging tools. The claws are long, sturdy, and strong enough to shift tonnes of soil over a lifetime. A badger sett can be enormous — some have been used by generation after generation of badgers for over a hundred years, with dozens of entrances and many metres of tunnels inside.
Badgers are social animals that live in family groups called clans. At night they emerge to forage — searching for earthworms, which are their favourite food. A hungry badger can eat hundreds of earthworms in a single night. They also eat berries, roots, insects, and small animals.
Despite looking a bit slow and heavy, badgers are surprisingly strong and confident animals. Their bold black-and-white striped faces actually serve as a warning to other animals: 'I am tough, leave me alone!' This kind of warning colouring is called aposematism — a big word for a simple message.