One of Scotland’s most charismatic mammals, the badger is a member of the mustelid family (the same group as stoats, weasels and otters). An unmistakable animal, badgers are large and grey, with a short fluffy tail, black belly and paws and the familiar black and white-striped face.

Some badger fast facts:

• Badgers can eat several hundred earthworms a night!
• They have a sense of smell 700-800 times better than ours to help them find food
• Badger live in a network of underground burrows and tunnels called a sett
• They poo in shallow pits called ‘latrines’ – and their poo has a sweet, musky smell!
• Cubs are usually born in January/February and spend the first few months underground before coming out in spring

You can find out even more about badgers by watching our Take a closer look at badgers video on YouTube!

Now you know a little more about badgers… let’s get crafty and become one ourselves!

What you will need:

• White paper cup
• White paper
• Black paper
• Pencil/pen
• Scissors
• Glue
• String

How to make your badger snout:

1. On the black paper, draw two triangles (for the face markings), two semi circles (for the ears), and a round shape (for the nose).
2. On the white paper, draw four circles (two for the eyes, two for nostrils)
3. Cut everything out and glue it all onto your paper cup (copy the image below!)
4. Make two holes at the top of either side of the paper cup. You can use your scissors or pencil to do this. You may need an adult to help!
5. Feed your string in each hole and tie a knot at each end (inside the cup). You need enough string so it can do round your head – get an adult or friend to help you measure the string out round your head!
6. Pop the paper cup over your nose and keep in place with the string round your head – you are now a badger! Can you go snuffling along the ground looking for tasty worms?!