TEXAS, USA — A man was treated to a rare sight on the Texas coast recently during a fishing trip.
The elusive, and mostly nocturnal badger, was spotted having a beach day on Padre Island!
Tom Howe captured photos and video of the badger as it dug in the sand for crabs. He said that he only recently learned about badgers living on the island, but never expected to see one in person.
According to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, badgers can be found all over the state, except for its farthest eastern edge. The National Park Service said families of badgers usually break up between June and August into unoccupied areas.
Howe called the sighting a "bucket list" item.
While some joke that the badger was trying to escape the brutal heat, that appears to be the case for some armadillos.
Just a few weeks ago, TPWD posted a video of an armadillo frolicking at a beach in the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. Park officials said armadillos have almost no hair to help regulate their body temperature and have a few unique ways to swim in the water. The state's official mammal can also hold its breath for up to six minutes.