Type: report

Article abstract: Badgers (Taxidea taxus) are wide-ranging mid-sized predators that are known to inhabit San Diego County. Similar to the mountain lion, they are known to range over wide areas, often making movements of 10km or more per day (Messick and Hornocker 1981; Hoodicoff 2003; Minta 1993; Quinn 2008; Doyle et al. 2019). Therefore, they are a suitable focal species for monitoring regional-scale connectivity. Unlike mountain lions that prefer to move within riparian areas (Dickson et al. 2005), badgers prefer open or grassy areas and thus are likely better indicators for upland connectivity and represent a different suite of species (Quinn 2008). Badgers are a covered species under the San Diego Multiple Species Conservation Plan (MSCP) (SDMMP 2011, 2017) and have been identified by the San Diego Monitoring and Management Program (SDMMP) Connectivity Monitoring Strategic Plan (2011) as a target species for monitoring regional-scale functional connectivity of upland and grassland habitats as well as a species considered to be at risk of loss from the SDMMP Management Strategic Plan Area (MSPA; SDMMP and Nature Conservancy 2017). The U.S. Geological Survey has been studying badger distribution and activity in San Diego County since 2011 using a variety of methods to better understand their distribution and core use areas (Brehme et al. 2012, 2015, 2016). The purpose of this report is to synthesize the techniques used and findings from the Brehme et al. (2012, 2015, 2016) reports into one document as well as review the objectives and methods for potential future research on the status and trends of this highly sensitive and elusive species.