8 Differences Between Badgers and Beavers with Table

Table of Contents

What is the difference between badgers and beavers?

Badgers and beavers are the most common pets liked by children. They often feel happy when they see them and want to take care of them.

By the look, you may think that it is a type of rat. Many people will dislike them because of their nature. Although the two look alike, they are quite different from each other.

The main difference between badgers and beaver is that badgers are fat-bodied and short-legged, elongated heads, small ears, short tails, and black faces with similar patterns and marks while beavers have thick bodies with warm and long red fur on top of their brownish fur.

Comparison Table (Badgers Vs Beavers)

Characteristics	Badgers	Beavers
Appearance	They are fat-bodied and short-legged animals.	They have thick bodies with warm and long red fur on top of their brownish fur.
Grooming	They are not used to grooming often.	They usually groom and oil their fur.
Mating season	The mating season varies for each badger.	The mating season comes between January and February.
Gestation period	It varies as some badgers take 48 days while others may take 180 days.	They take around 128 days.
Litter size	2 to 3 cubs are born per pregnancy.	2 to 6 kits may be born per pregnancy.
Habitat	They live underground.	They build their homes on the sides of the dams.
Speed	They can run up to 30km/h.	They can swim at a speed of 5 miles per hour.
Lifespan	It can live between 9 to 10 years.	It can live up to 20 years.

What are Badgers?

Badgers are animals that have fat bodies with short legs. They have elongated heads with small ears. Their tails are short and have black faces with familiar patterns and marks that make them easily recognized.

They used to belong to the weasel family but recent studies say that they belong to the skunky family only that they do not transmit the skunky smell.

They inhabit underground places. Some of them stay at one place and build a clan while some of them move from one place to another hence not easy to form a clan.

The mating season for badgers varies from one badger to another. American badger mates between July and August. For honey badgers, they do not have specific mating times in the course of the year.

The gestation period also depends on the type of the badger. European badger takes 49 days and for honey badger, it takes 180 days. The size of the litter is usually between 2 to 3 cubs per pregnancy.

They feed on various foodstuffs. Honey badgers feed on honey even from the tallest trees. They also feed on earthworms, insects, grabs, eggs of ground-nesting birds, small mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and fruits.

What are Beavers?

Beavers are animals with thick bodies and have warm and long red fur on top of their brownish fur. They have waterproof coats that allow them to swim in cold or icy water. They have the capability of taking about 15 minutes in water.

They have physical structures that are apparently built for survival. The hair, nails, lips, and Teeth are meant for various purposes.

They build their houses near dams or rivers as they are semi-aquatic animals. They use their powerful strong teeth to cut the wood to use it to build their homes.

They have an alarm signal for other beavers in case there is danger. When they notice danger, they swim and flap their tails on the water to warn other animals that danger is on their way.

Their mating season is between January and February with the young ones born between April and June. Their gestation period takes about 128 days and they give birth to between 2 and 6 kits.

Their powerful teeth do not make them eat wood, they only feed on soft tissue close to the surface in which new wood and bark grow.

Main Differences between Badgers and Beavers

Badgers have fat bodies with short legs while beavers have thick bodies with warm and long red fur on top of their brownish fur.

Badgers are not used to grooming while beavers groom often and oil their fur.

Mating season varies for each badger type while beavers only mate between January and February.

Badgers do not have a specific gestation period; it also depends on the type of badger while beaver’s gestation period is 128 days.

Badgers inhabit underground while beavers build their houses near dams or rivers.

Similarities between Badgers and Beavers

They are both kept as pets.

They are both mammals.

In Conclusion

Badgers and beavers vary a lot as they have different origins and families. They are both mammals but they come from different families.

Badgers have fat bodies and short legs. They have small ears and their faces are black with familiar patterns on them. Beavers have thick bodies with warm and long red fur on top of their brownish fur.

The main feature that makes a badger different from a beaver is the appearance of these two animals.

Sources and references:

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