TAXEL
\tˈaksə͡l], \tˈaksəl], \t_ˈa_k_s_əl]\
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The American badger (Meles Labradorica), at first regarded as a variety of the European badger, but now found to differ so considerably that it has been thought by some naturalists worthy of being raised into a distinct genus, Taxidea. Its teeth are of a more carnivorous character than those of the true badger, and it preys on such small animals as marmots, which it pursues into their holes, frequently enlarging them so as to make the ground dangerous for horses. Its burrowing powers are remarkable, its hole being 6 or 7 feet deep, and running underground to a length of 30 feet. Though termed Labradorica it is not found in Labrador, but abounds in the sandy plains near the Missouri and Rocky Mountains. Its hair changes from yellowish-brown in summer to hoary-gray in winter, becoming longer and more woolly.
By Daniel Lyons