The badger is physically well equipped for a lifestyle that revolves around digging and is the most fossorial of Kansas furbearers. Badger dens or burrows are conspicuous, consisting of a large mound of dirt piled around a 10- to 12-inch- diameter hole. Most excavations are in pursuit of prey, but natal dens are specifically constructed. The young are usually born in April or May after a winter arrest in embryonic development known as delayed implantation. From one to five young are born, with three or four being average.

Minks are highly carnivorous and prey upon a wide variety of both aquatic and terrestrial animals. They are tenacious predators and sometimes kill animals as large or larger than themselves. The bulk of their diet usually consists of mammals, with muskrats and mice topping the list. Other prey items include terrestrial rodents, rabbits, crayfish, water beetles, and other insects, fish, and frogs. Minks are also notorious nest predators, especially of waterfowl and domestic chickens. Because they readily cache food, they are prone to killing more than they can eat, especially when their quarry is confined – like in a hen house.

Exclusively herbivorous, beavers feed on a variety of plants, grasses, forbs, and even agricultural crops. But it is their taste for tree bark that has drawn them the most attention, and in some cases, ire, over the years. Beavers utilize many species of trees, but young willows and cottonwoods are among the most preferred in Kansas. Felling trees allows beavers access to the smaller, more nutritious branches in the canopy, and provides materials for dam, food cache, and lodge construction.

The beaver’s instinctive dambuilding behavior makes it one of the most ecologically important wildlife species. The dams, which are constructed with sticks and mud, back up water to flood woodlands or surrounding habitat. While these beaver ponds help maintain water supplies during drought periods and create excellent habitat for a variety of fish and wildlife, they often conflict with the interests of man – especially when the flooded area consists of roadways, parks, or valuable agricultural land.