The European Badger (Meles meles) is a member of the Mustelidae family, and so is related to the stoats, otters, weasels, minks and other badgers. It is indigenous to most of Europe, excluding northern Scandinavia, Iceland, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily and Cyprus. European Badgers are the only species classified in the genus Meles.

European Badgers can be readily identified by their characteristic black-and-white striped face and white-tipped ears. Most of their diet consists of earthworms, although they also eat insects, beetles, small mammals, eggs, young birds, frogs, berries, roots, bulbs, nuts, fruit, and other plant matter. In urban areas, they may scavenge food from bins and gardens.

Badgers are nocturnal. During the daytime, the badgers rest in a network of tunnels called the sett. Setts enable them to survive through very hot or cold weather.

In the United Kingdom, European Badgers are protected by law. The Lancashire Badger Group and other groups have organized for the conservation of these animals. Their most serious threat is automobile traffic, which kills about 50,000 badgers a year in Britain. In 2004, there were between 250,000 and 300,000 badgers in the wild in Britain.

European Badgers are prone to Baylisascaris infestations.

References

• Wildlifeonline - Natural History of the European Badger (http://www.wildlifeonline.me.uk/european_badger.html).
• Lancaster Badger Group (http://www.geocities.com/lancashirebadgergroup/).
• The Badger Site (http://www.garethgriffiths.co.uk/badger/eu_badger.html), Gareth Griffiths, 2004.
• Science & Nature: Animals (http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/factfiles/189.shtml), BBC.