Badgermole

The badgermole is an enormous blind mammal native to the Earth Kingdom. Living mostly underground, it was the first creature to master earthbending and later taught humans the art. Notably, Toph Beifong was also taught by the badgermoles.

History


Badgermoles taught the first human earthbenders, Oma and Shu, so that the lovers could meet in secret. They and the badgermoles created a maze of tunnels through the mountains dividing their two villages, allowing Oma and Shu to meet in secret. The tunnels' ceilings were covered in crystals that, when the tunnels became completely dark, would glow and lead to the tunnels' exit.

Toph was one of the benders who also learned earthbending from badgermoles. Once, when she was a little child, she ran away from home and met them in a cave. According to her, their earthbending was not just fighting, but more of an extension of their senses and their way of interacting with the world. She learned her earthbending through copying the badgermoles movements when moving through the tunnels.

Several years later, when Team Avatar was unable to cross the Kolau Mountain Range, which was controlled by Fire Nation forces, they met a group of nomads who showed them a safer passage under the mountains, the Cave of Two Lovers. Due to the Fire Nation attacks, the gang was forced to venture down the secret tunnel. While in the caves, Sokka, Chong, Moku, and the other nomads encountered these creatures and had to deal with their aggressive bending. However, they serenaded them with music and were able to use them to make their way out of the cave.

Due to the badgermoles' importance in Earth Kingdom history, they influence much of the architecture of the nation, such as the throne of the Earth King in Ba Sing Se and the two statues present outside of the Earth King's Royal Palace, both of which have the appearance of sitting badgermoles. Despite the significance of the statues, they were launched at Team Avatar by the earthbending guards when the Avatar and his friends attempted to break into the palace.

Anatomy
Badgermoles are giant earthbending creatures. They have brown fur with one white and two black stripes running down their backs and white, mask-like patches on their faces. They have long tails and five claws on each paw. Badgermoles use their noses and sensitive whiskers to inspect objects in front of them. Although they have vestigial eyes, evolutionary leftovers from some long-forgotten time when they lived above ground, badgermoles are more-or-less blind, but their earthbending abilities allow them to feel the presence of their surroundings in recompense.

Behavior
Badgermoles use their tongues to lick in order to show their affection, just as they did to Toph when they first met. They enjoy hearing music, which seems to put them in an almost tranquil state in which one can get them to do nearly anything. The badgermole seems to be the natural predator of the wolfbats. These creatures use earthbending to make tunnels and travel underground, where they live and hunt for prey.

Tamed behavior
If fully and properly tamed, badgermoles can be used as beasts of burden and perform tasks such as paving pathways or clearing stone debris, such as during the Earth Rumble tournament.

Connection
The badgermole resembles a cross between the American badger and the common mole. The facial coloring and white back stripe of the badgermole resemble the badger whereas its claws, tail, and eyes are indicative of the mole's. Both animals are among the best diggers in the animal kingdom, badgers being powerful diggers that can dig through the toughest earth, and moles being quick diggers, almost "swimming" through the earth.

Trivia



 * Badgermoles are blind like Toph, so they were able to understand each other well, and in return taught Toph how to earthbend.
 * In Earth Rumble VI, an earthbending tournament held underground in a giant earthen arena in Gaoling, badgermoles were used to clear the ring of rocks.
 * The Boulder had a tattoo of a purple badgermole on his back.
 * Ornate statues of bagdermoles are seen in the ruins of Taku.
 * Badgermoles can be domesticated.
 * Badgermoles are the only one of the original animal benders that are not known to be a companion to an Avatar. Roku had a dragon, Fang, as a lifelong friend, and Aang had Appa, a sky bison.
 * After the Hundred Year War, a pro-bending team named itself the Ba Sing Se Badgermoles.
 * According to Chong, badgermoles hate wolfbats.
 * There are badgermole statues outside the Ba Sing Se Royal Palace.