Badgers are a widespread group of mostly carnivorous, medium-sized, stocky mustelids.
Badgers have powerfully built, wedge shaped bodies, with a small head and a short, thick neck. In all but ferret badgers, the tail is short. The snout is elongate and used for foraging and, particularly in the hog badger, is very truncated and mobile. Many species dig elaborate burrow systems, making use of the relatively long, nonretractile claws on the forefeet. In the teledu of Southeast Asia the toes of the forefeet are even united as far as the roots of the claws.