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Eurasian Badger
Conservation status
Least Concern
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Mustelidae Genus: Meles Species: M. meles
Binomial name
Meles meles Linnaeus, 1758
Range map

The Eurasian or European badger, Meles meles, is a mammal indigenous to most of Europe (excluding northern Scandinavia, Iceland, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily and Cyprus) and to many parts of Asia, from about 15° to 65° North, and from about 10° West to 135° East. It is a member of the Mustelidae family, and so is related to the stoats, otters, weasels, minks and other badgers. The Eurasian badger is the only species classified in the genus Meles. Accepted subspecies include Meles meles meles (Western Europe), Meles meles marianensis (Spain and Portugal), Meles meles leptorynchus (Russia), Meles meles leucurus (China and Tibet), and Meles meles anaguma (Japan). Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive either in the present day or the future. ... Image File history File links Status_iucn2. ... Least Concern (LC) is an IUCN category assigned to extant species or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Typical Classes See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... Subclasses & Infraclasses Subclass †Allotheria* Subclass Prototheria Subclass Theria Infraclass †Trituberculata Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria Mammals (class Mammalia) are warm-blooded, vertebrate animals characterized by the presence of sweat glands, including milk producing sweat glands, and by the presence of: hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex... Families 17, See classification The diverse order Carnivora (IPA: or ; from Latin carō (stem carn-) flesh, + vorāre to devour) includes over 260 species of placental mammals. ... Subfamilies Lutrinae Melinae Mellivorinae Taxidiinae Mustelinae Mustelidae is a family of carnivorous mammals. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Carl Linnaeus, Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as  , (May 13, 1707[1] – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist[2] who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of nomenclature. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Subclasses & Infraclasses Subclass †Allotheria* Subclass Prototheria Subclass Theria Infraclass †Trituberculata Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria Mammals (class Mammalia) are warm-blooded, vertebrate animals characterized by the presence of sweat glands, including milk producing sweat glands, and by the presence of: hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Scandinavia (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Corsica (disambiguation). ... For the place in the United States, see Sardinia, Ohio. ... Sicily ( in Italian and Sicilian) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,708 km² (9,926 sq. ... For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ... Subfamilies Lutrinae Melinae Mellivorinae Taxidiinae Mustelinae Mustelidae is a family of carnivorous mammals. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 Range map The stoat (Mustela erminea) is a small mammal of the family Mustelidae. ... This article is about the carnivorous mammals. ... For other uses, see Weasel (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Mink (disambiguation). ... Genera  Arctonyx  Melogale  Meles  Mellivora  Taxidea For other uses, see Badger (disambiguation). ... This article is about historical/cultural Tibet. ...

Description

The general hue of its fur is grey above and black on the under parts with a distinctive black and white striped face and white-tipped ears. Eurasian badgers are around 70 cm long with a tail of about 20 cm and weigh 10 kg on average, but weights can vary enormously. In the northern area of the range (only), badgers hibernate [1] [2]^{[citation needed]} and put on fat in the autumn to help them get through the winter months. In parts of Russia, badgers may weigh as much as 42 kg in the autumn. This article refers to the process of hibernation in biology. ... For other uses, see FAT. Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and largely insoluble in water. ...

Diet

Though classified as belonging to the order Carnivora, badgers are effectively omnivorous; most of their diet consists of earthworms, although they also eat insects, beetles, small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, eggs, young birds, berries, roots, bulbs, nuts, fruit, and other plant matter, depending on the season. They also dig up the nests of wasps and bumblebees in order to eat the larvae. For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... Families 17, See classification The diverse order Carnivora (IPA: or ; from Latin carō (stem carn-) flesh, + vorāre to devour) includes over 260 species of placental mammals. ... Pigs are omnivores. ... For the LPG album, see The Earthworm (album). ... Orders Subclass Apterygota Archaeognatha (bristletails) Thysanura (silverfish) Subclass Pterygota Infraclass Paleoptera (Probably paraphyletic) Ephemeroptera (mayflies) Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) Infraclass Neoptera Superorder Exopterygota Grylloblattodea (ice-crawlers) Mantophasmatodea (gladiators) Plecoptera (stoneflies) Embioptera (webspinners) Zoraptera (angel insects) Dermaptera (earwigs) Orthoptera (grasshoppers, etc) Phasmatodea (stick insects) Blattodea (cockroaches) Isoptera (termites) Mantodea (mantids) Psocoptera... For other uses, see Beetle (disambiguation). ... Subclasses & Infraclasses Subclass †Allotheria* Subclass Prototheria Subclass Theria Infraclass †Trituberculata Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria Mammals (class Mammalia) are warm-blooded, vertebrate animals characterized by the presence of sweat glands, including milk producing sweat glands, and by the presence of: hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex... Reptilia redirects here. ... For other uses, see Amphibian (disambiguation). ... In most birds and reptiles, an egg (Latin ovum) is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum. ... For other uses, see Bird (disambiguation). ... This article is about the fruit. ... For other uses, see Root (disambiguation). ... Shallot bulbs A bulb is an underground vertical shoot that has modified leaves (or thickened leaf bases) that is used as food storage organs by a dormant plant. ... For other uses, see Nut (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Fruit (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Plant (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Wasp (disambiguation). ... Species more than 250 species and subspecies in 38 subgenera Bumblebees (also spelled bumble bee, also known as humblebee) are flying insects of the genus Bombus in the family Apidae. ... A larval insect A larva (Latin; plural larvae) is a juvenile form of animal with indirect development, undergoing metamorphosis (for example, insects or amphibians). ...

Badgers prefer grazed pasture and woodland, which have high numbers of earthworms exposed, and dislike clay soil, which is difficult to dig even with their powerful claws. In urban areas, some badgers scavenge food from bins and gardens. Pastureland Pasture is land with lush herbaceous vegetation cover used for grazing of ungulates as part of a farm or ranch. ... Limber Pine woodland, Toiyabe Range, central Nevada Biologically, a woodland is a treed area differentiated from a forest. ... For other uses, see Clay (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Garden (disambiguation). ...

Behavior

Badgers are nocturnal and spend the day in their setts, or extensive networks of tunnels dug in well-drained ground (or sometimes beneath buildings or roads). Setts give shelter from the weather and predators, including humans and dogs. A nocturnal animal is one that sleeps during the day and is active at night - the opposite of the human (diurnal) schedule. ... The entrance to a sett The interior of a tunnel within a sett A sett is a network of tunnels making up a badgers homestead. ... Human beings are defined variously in biological, spiritual, and cultural terms, or in combinations thereof. ... This article is about the domestic dog. ...

Foraging.

They are territorial, but can be found in groups (called clans) of up to 12. Each clan has a dominant male and female which are often (but not always) the only members of the clan to reproduce. Female badgers can display delayed implantation: after mating at any time of the year, they keep the fertilised eggs in suspended development until an appropriate time, at which stage the eggs are implanted and begin developing. Badgers have a gestation period of 7-8 weeks and give birth to 1-5 offspring. Males are called boars and females sows; the young are cubs. Badgers live for up to 15 years (average 3 years) in the wild, and up to 19 years in captivity. If they survive their first year, the most common cause of death is by road traffic. Embryonic diapause is a reproductive strategy used by close to 100 different mammals in seven different orders. ...

Badgers are susceptible to Baylisascaris infestations. They can catch and carry rabies [3] and are believed to transmit bovine tuberculosis (see below). Baylisascaris is a genus of roundworms that infest more than fifty animal species. ... Binomial name Mycobacterium bovis Karlson & Lessel 1970 Mycobacterium bovis is a slow-growing (16 to 20 hour generation time), aerobic bacterium and the causative agent of tuberculosis in cattle. ...

A lone Badger at dusk walking along a country road in the North East of England.

Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 583 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A Badger I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 583 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A Badger I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Dusk in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, USA. Dusk outside a plane on cruise. ... For other uses, see Country (disambiguation). ... North East England is one of the regions of England and comprises the historical counties of Northumberland and Durham plus the area south of the River Tees which was in the former county of Cleveland (this area was historically in Yorkshire and now part of North Yorkshire for ceremonial purposes). ...

Badgers, hunting and blood sports

Badger baiting, in which a badger is attacked by a succession of dogs, often accompanied by heavy gambling, has been practiced since at least the Middle Ages in Europe. When the badger is no longer able to fight, it is killed. Badger digging is the process of sending dogs down the tunnels of a badger sett in order to locate the badger, after which the diggers try to dig down to the badger. Dachshunds (literally "Dachs hunds", "badger dogs") were originally bred for this purpose. The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ...

In the UK, the Badger Trust believes that lamping (night-time hunting on foot with strong lamps) for badgers, badger baiting and badger digging persist despite all being illegal. Badger baiting was outlawed in 1835; badger digging in 1973. Lamping with dogs is legal only if rabbits are hunted since the passing of the Hunting Act 2004, lamping with guns is legal only for species not protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Under the Protection of Badgers Act of 1992 it is an offence to kill a badger or to interfere with a sett without a licence from Natural England. Spotlighting or shining is a method of hunting nocturnal animals using off-road vehicles and high-powered lights. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... Natural England is the name of a new United Kingdom Government agency which will bring together the landscape, access and recreation elements of the Countryside Agency (CA); all of the responsibilities of English Nature (EN); and the environmental land management functions of the Rural Development Service (RDS). ...

The results of the first national badger survey published in 1990 estimated that 9,000 badgers were killed each year by badger digging.

Badgers and the spread of bovine TB

Skull, eurasian badger

British farmers and successive governments have long believed that bovine TB was being spread by badgers and infecting the national dairy herd, and since the 1970s badgers have been culled by gassing (now ceased) and shooting in attempts to prevent this spread. Binomial name Mycobacterium bovis Karlson & Lessel 1970 Mycobacterium bovis is a slow-growing (16 to 20 hour generation time), aerobic bacterium and the causative agent of tuberculosis in cattle. ... The National Farmers Union (NFU) is a trade union/industry association for farmers in England and Wales. ... Binomial name Mycobacterium bovis Karlson & Lessel 1970 Mycobacterium bovis is a slow-growing (16 to 20 hour generation time), aerobic bacterium and the causative agent of tuberculosis in cattle. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ...

Tests carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture in the early 1970s showed that TB was more common in badgers than in other species. In the first Badger Act (1973), meant that licenses had to be issued for the killing of badgers. However there are various other theories concerning the transmission of TB to cattle, and badger culling remains a contentious issue in the UK. Research into the specific mechanisms of how cattle contract bovine TB from badgers and into normal levels of transmission when culling is not practised is scanty. Following the recommendations of the Krebs report of 1997 (Bovine Tuberculosis in Cattle and Badgers[4]), a research trial of badger culling, the Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT)[5], was begun. Part of the aim was to establish baselines which could be used to assess the efficacy of culls in future. As noted in the Godfray report (Independent Scientific Review of the Randomised Badger Culling Trial and Associated Epidemiological Research) of March 2004, the trial has experienced major problems (in particular delays in culling due to restrictions imposed by the control of the foot and mouth disease epidemic in 2001. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was a UK government department, dealing with agriculture, fisheries and food safety. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... Sir John Richard Krebs (born 1945) is a British biologist and a Fellow of the Royal Society. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ...

The Randomised Badger Culling Trial [6] (designed, overseen and analysed by the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB, or ISG [7]) was a large field trial of widescale (proactive) culling and localised reactive culling (in comparison with areas which received no badger culling). In their final report [8], the ISG concluded: "First, while badgers are clearly a source of cattle TB, careful evaluation of our own and others’ data indicates that badger culling can make no meaningful contribution to cattle TB control in Britain. Indeed, some policies under consideration are likely to make matters worse rather than better. Second, weaknesses in cattle testing regimes mean that cattle themselves contribute significantly to the persistence and spread of disease in all areas where TB occurs, and in some parts of Britain are likely to be the main source of infection. Scientific findings indicate that the rising incidence of disease can be reversed, and geographical spread contained, by the rigid application of cattle-based control measures alone." On 26 July 2007, the Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Rooker) said "My Lords, we welcome the Independent Scientific Group’s final report, which further improves the evidence base. We are carefully considering the issues that the report raises, and will continue to work with industry, government advisers and scientific experts in reaching policy decisions on these issues."[9]

Badgers are popular with the general public, if not with farmers, and societies exist to protect the species. The Badger Trust is the umbrella body for a series of groups like the Lancashire Badger Group formed for the conservation of these animals. Their most serious threat is automobile traffic, which kills about 50,000 badgers a year in Britain.^{[citation needed]} In 2004, there were between 250,000 and 300,000 badgers in the wild in Britain.^{[citation needed]} Farming, ploughing rice paddy, in Indonesia Agriculture is the process of producing food, feed, fiber and other desired products by cultivation of certain plants and the raising of domesticated animals (livestock). ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

• Mustelid Specialist Group (1996). Meles meles. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 09 May 2006
• Ernest Neal & Chris Cheeseman Badgers (Poyser, 2002).

General

• The Badger Trust - representing over 80 British badger groups.
• Steve Jackson's Badger Pages - Facts about and photos of the badgers of the world.
• Badgerland - The Definitive On-Line Guide to Badgers (Meles meles) in the UK.
• Wildlifeonline - Natural History of the European Badger.
• Lancashire Badger Group.
• Science & Nature: Animals, BBC.
• Badger Survey in the Netherlands 2000-2001, The Census Foundation.
• Badgers in the Netherlands, Stichting Dassenwerkgroep Brabant.
• Waarneming.nl Originally a Dutch site, but you can change language at the top of the page. Sightings, pictures and distribution maps of Eurasian badgers in the Netherlands.

Badgers and TB in the UK

• DEFRA (UK government department) position on badgers and TB
• Executive summary of the Krebs Report Bovine Tuberculosis in Cattle and Badgers 1997
• The Randomised Badger Culling Trial
• Godfray Report, Independent Scientific Review of the Randomised Badger Culling Trial and Associated Epidemiological Research, March 2004. PDF format
• National Farmers Union proposals to control badgers (would involve repeal of the 1992 act) July 2005
• NFBG (now Badger Trust) response to the National Farmers Union proposals, August 2005

Claims of continued badger-hunting in the UK

• Allegations of lamping (among other practices) were made in the appendix to the NFBG (now Badger Trust) response to the Krebs Report

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species and can be found here. ... The World Conservation Union or International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ...

Gallery

	Sett (den) Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 566 pixelsFull resolution (801 × 567 pixel, file size: 19 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) footprints of European badger (image from a book by Lucyin Mahin, relicensed under GFDL by the author) Passêyes do taesson (foû di Ene båke... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ...	droppings Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ...	tracks on mud Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ...
tracks on snow Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ...

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