Difference between Wolverine and Badger
Both wolverine and badger belong to Mustelidae family. They are furry, stocky and nocturnal mammals mostly found in cold, snowy regions of the world. The wolverine is also known as the devil bear, skunk bear etc. It is found in Alaska, Siberia, Russia, Northern regions of Canada, China etc. The badger is also known as Brock, it is found in North America, Great Britain, Ireland, Southern Scandinavia etc. People often confuse wolverine with badger. Let us see how wolverine differs from the badger.
Wolverine
A wolverine is the largest member of a weasel family. It is a powerful animal which resembles a small bear. Though it is a solitary animal, it may travel around 15 miles in a day while searching food. It is found in the colder regions of the world. Its food mostly includes small and medium-sized animals like rabbits, sheep, moose rodents, and sometimes plants and berries.
Wolverine has a stocky, muscular body which weighs between 12 to 25 kilograms and is 65-110 cm long. The females are comparatively larger than males, unlike other mammals. They have large padded paws with five toes as an adaptation to walking on a snow or slippery surfaces. The broad head, round ears, small eyes, and silvery facial marks are some of their characteristic features. It has a thick, oily fur which is it resistant to water and frost.
Badger
Badger also belongs to weasel family. It is short, flat and fluffy than wolverine. It weighs around 15 to 26 pounds and is 16 to 28 inches long. The small, round white ears, short legs, and long snout and white cheeks with black stripes are their characteristic features. They live in burrows which they dig with their long, thick claws. They may be called omnivores as they feed on small animals as well as some plants. Badgers prefer to live in plains or open areas and are utterly revengeful and arrogant animals as they may challenge a bear or wolf if needed.
Based on the above information, some of the key differences between wolverine and badger are as follows:
| Wolverine | Badger |
|---|---|
| They are generally found in cold or snowy regions. | They can be found in different types of climates. |
| It is the largest member of the Mustelidae family. | It is smaller in size than wolverine. |
| It has thick, oily fur which is hydrophobic (resistant to water and frost). | It has a simple fur on the body which is less resistant to water and frost. |
| It has longer lifespan than a badger. | It has a shorter lifespan than a wolverine. |
| It has prominent white and black stripes across the head. | It has dark brown colour with patches of tan. |
| They are mostly carnivores, their diet mainly consists of meat and it can hunt down large animals like moose, deer, sheep etc. | They can be omnivores and usually hunt down small animals like rodents, birds, insects, earthworms, etc. |
| They prefer to live in forests. | They prefer to live in plains or open areas. |
| An adult wolverine weighs between 20-40 pounds. | An adult badger weighs between 15-20 pounds. |
| Its length ranges between 65 and 110 cm. | Its length ranges between 55 and 77cm. |