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The European badger ( Meles meles), also known as the Eurasian badger, is a species of badger in the family Mustelidae native to Europe and West Asia and parts of Central Asia. It is classified as least concern on the IUCN Red List due to its wide range and large, stable population size which is thought to be increasing in some regions. Several subspecies are recognised, with the nominate subspecies ( M. m. meles) predominating in most of Europe. In Europe, where no other badger species commonly occurs, it is simply known as the " badger".
The European badger is a powerfully built animal with a small head, stocky body, small black eyes and short tail, and a coat of black, white, brown, and grey fur. Its weight varies, ranging from in spring to in autumn before the winter sleep period. It is Nocturnality and Sociality, living in burrows and sleeping during the day in one of several within its territory. These burrows have multiple chambers and entrances and comprise extensive systems of underground passages measuring in length. Several badger families use these setts for decades that use these setts for decades. Badgers are particular about the cleanliness of their burrows, carrying in fresh bedding and removing soiled material. They defecate in latrines situated strategically outside their setts or en route to others.
Although the European badger is taxonomically classified as a , it is actually an omnivore that feeds on a variety of plant and animal foods, including , large , small , carrion, cereals, and . Litters of up to five cubs are born in spring. The young are weaned after a few months, but they usually remain within the family group. European badgers has been known to share their burrows with other species, such as , , and . However, they can be ferocious when provoked, a trait that was exploited in the now illegal blood sport of badger-baiting. Like many wild and domesticated mammals, badgers can carry bovine tuberculosis, which can spread between species and be particularly detrimental to cattle. In England, badger populations are culled in an attempt to reduce the incidence of bovine tuberculosis in cattle, although the efficacy of this practice is strongly disputed, and badger culls are widely considered cruel and inhumane.
The far older name "brock" (), () is a Celtic languages loanword (cf. Gaelic broc and Welsh language broch, from Proto-Celtic *brokko) meaning 'grey'. The Proto-Germanic term was *þahsu- (cf. German language Dachs, Dutch language das, Norwegian svin-toks; Early Modern English dasse), probably from the PIE root *tek'- 'to construct', which suggests that the badger was named after its digging of (tunnels); the Germanic term *þahsu- became taxus or taxō, -ōnis in Latin glosses, replacing mēlēs ('marten' or 'badger'), and from these words the common Romance terms for the animal evolved (Italian language tasso, French language tesson/taisson/tasson—now blaireau is more common—, Catalan language toixó, Spanish language tejón, Portuguese texugo) except Asturian melandru.
Until the mid-18th century, the European badger was known by various names in English, including brock, pate, grey, and bawson. The name "bawson" is derived from "bawsened", meaning striped with white. "Pate" is a local name that was once popular in northern England. The name "badget" was once common, but only used in Norfolk, while "earth dog" was used in southern Ireland. The badger is commonly referred to in Welsh as a mochyn daear ('earth pig').
| Common badger ( M. m. meles) | Linnaeus, 1758 | A large subspecies with a strongly developed sagittal crest, it has a soft pelage and relatively dense underfur. The back has a relatively pure silvery-grey tone, while the main tone of the head is pure white. The dark stripes are wide and black, while the white fields fully extend along the upper and lateral parts of the neck. It can weigh up to 20–24 kg in autumn, with some specimens attaining even larger sizes. | Continental Europe, except for the Iberian Peninsula. Its eastern range encompasses the European area of the former Soviet Union eastward to the Volga, Crimea, Ciscaucasia, and the northern Caucasus |
| Iberian badger ( M. m. marianensis) | Graells, 1897 | Spain and Portugal | |
| Kizlyar badger ( M. m. heptneri) | Sergey Ognev, 1931 | A large subspecies, it exhibits several traits of the Asian badger, namely its very pale, dull, dirty-greyish-ocherous colour and narrow head stripes. | Steppe region of northeastern Ciscaucasia, the Kalmytsk steppes and the Volga delta |
| Norwegian badger ( M. m. milleri) | Baryshnikov, Puzachenko and Abramov, 2003 | This subspecies has a smaller skull and smaller teeth than the nominate badger subspecies in Sweden and Finland. | Southwestern Norway, west of Telemark |
Boars typically have broader heads, thicker necks and narrower tails than sows. Sows have sleeker bodies, narrower, less domed heads and fluffier tails. Badgers have longer guts than , reflecting their omnivorous diet. The small intestine has an average length of and lacks a cecum. Both sexes have three pairs of , though these are more developed in females. European badgers cannot flex their backs like , and , nor can they stand fully erect like . However, they can move quickly at full gallop.
Adults measure at the shoulder, in body length, in tail length, in hind foot length and in ear height. Males (or boars) exceed females (or sows) slightly in these measurements, but can weigh considerably more. Their weight varies seasonally, growing from spring to autumn and peaking just before winter. During the summer, European badgers commonly weigh and in autumn.
The average weight of adults in the Białowieża Forest was in spring but up to in autumn, 46% higher than the spring low mass. In Woodchester Park, England, adults in spring weighed on average and in fall average . In Doñana National Park, average weight of adult badgers is reported as , perhaps in accordance with Bergmann's rule, that its size decreases in relatively warmer climates. Sows can attain a top autumn weight of around , while exceptionally large boars have been reported in autumn.
The heaviest verified specimen was , though unverified reports have suggested weights of up to and even (if so, the heaviest weight for any terrestrial mustelid). If average weights are used, the European badger ranks as the second largest terrestrial mustelid, behind only the wolverine. Although they have an acute sense of smell, their eyesight is Monochromacy, as has been demonstrasted by their lack of reaction to red lanterns. Only moving objects attract their attention. Their hearing is no better than that of humans.
The skulls of European badgers are quite massive and heavy, with an elongated shape. Their are oval in shape, while the front part of their skulls is elongated and narrow. Adults have prominent which can reach 15 mm in height in older males, and these are more strongly developed than those of honey badgers. Aside from anchoring the jaw muscles, the thickness of the crests protect their skulls from physical impact. Similar to martens, the dentition of European badgers is well-suited for their omnivorous diets. Their are small and chisel-shaped, their canine teeth are prominent and their are not overly specialised. Their molars are flattened and adapted for grinding. Their jaws are powerful enough to crush most bones, and a provoked badger was once bit down so heavily on a man's wrist that his hand had to be amputated. The dental formula is .
are present below the base of the tail and around the anus. The subcaudal gland produces a cream-coloured, musky-smelling fatty substance, while the anal glands secrete a stronger-smelling, yellowish-brown fluid.
The summer fur is much coarser, shorter and sparser. It is also deeper in colour, with black tones becoming brownish and sometimes yellowish.
Partial melanism is known to occur in badgers, and and leucistic individuals are not uncommon. Albino badgers are either pure white or yellowish with pink eyes, while leucistic badgers are similar but have normal eyes. Erythristic badgers are more common than albinos, and are characterised by a sandy-red colour on the parts of the body that are usually black. Yellow badgers are also known.
The distributional boundary between the ranges of European and is the Volga River; the European species inhabits the western bank. The boundary between the ranges of the European and is in the North Caucasus. However, a clear boundary has not been defined, and the two species are Sympatry in some regions, potentially forming a hybrid zone. They are common in European Russia, where 30,000 individuals were recorded in 1990. They are abundant and increasing throughout their range, partly due to a reduction in rabies in Central Europe. In the UK, the badger population increased by 77% during the 1980s and 1990s. The badger population in Great Britain in 2012 is estimated to be 300,000.
The European badger inhabits deciduous and mixed woodlands, clearings, spinneys, pastureland and scrub, including Mediterranean maquis shrubland. It has adapted to living in suburban areas and urban parks, though not to the same extent as red foxes. In mountainous regions, it can be found at altitudes of up to .
Sparring and more vicious fights generally result from territorial defence during the breeding season. However, animals within and outside a group generally show considerable tolerance towards each other. Boars tend to mark their territories more actively than sows, with their territorial activity increasing during the mating season in early spring. Badgers Social grooming thoroughly using their claws and teeth. This grooming may have a social function. They are crepuscular and nocturnal by nature. Aggression among badgers is largely associated with territorial defence and mating. When fighting, they bite each other on the neck and rump while running and chasing each other, and the resulting injuries can sometimes be fatal. When attacked by dogs or when sexually excited, badgers may raise their tails and fluff up their fur.
European badgers have an extensive vocal repertoire. When threatened, they emit deep growls and, when fighting, make low noises. They bark when surprised, whicker when playing or in distress, and emit a piercing scream when alarmed or frightened.König 1973, pp. 162–163
Badgers dig and collect bedding throughout the year, particularly in autumn and spring. Sett maintenance is usually carried out by subordinate sows and dominant boars. The chambers are frequently lined with bedding, brought in on dry nights, which consists of grass, bracken, straw, leaves and moss. Up to 30 bundles can be carried to the sett in a single night. European badgers are fastidiously clean animals that regularly clear out and discard old bedding. During the winter, they may take their bedding outside on sunny mornings and retrieve it later in the day. Spring cleaning is associated with the birth of cubs and may occur several times during the summer in order to prevent accumulation of parasites.
If a badger dies within the sett, its Conspecificity will seal off the chamber and dig a new one. Some badgers drag their dead out of the sett and bury them outside. A sett is almost invariably located near a tree, which the badgers use for stretching or claw scraping. Badgers defecate in located near the sett, as well as at strategic locations on territorial boundaries or near places with abundant food supplies.
In extreme cases, when suitable burrowing grounds are lacking, badgers may move into haystacks in winter. They may share their setts with or . In turn, the badgers may protect the rabbits from other predators. The rabbits usually avoid predation by the badgers by inhabiting smaller, harder-to-reach chambers.
The average litter consists of one to five cubs. Although many cubs are sired by resident males, up to 54% can be fathered by boars from different colonies. Dominant sows may kill the cubs of subordinates. Cubs are born pink, with greyish, silvery fur and fused eyelids. Neonatal badgers are in body length on average and weigh , with cubs from large litters being smaller. By three to five days, their claws become pigmented, and individual dark hairs begin to appear. Their eyes open at four to five weeks and their milk teeth erupt about the same time. They emerge from their setts at eight weeks of age, and begin to be Weaning at twelve weeks, though they may still suckle until they are four to five months old. Subordinate females assist the mother in guarding, feeding and grooming the cubs. Cubs fully develop their adult coats at six to nine weeks. In areas with medium to high badger populations, dispersal from the natal group is uncommon, though badgers may temporarily visit other colonies. Badgers can live for up to about fifteen years in the wild.
Occasionally, badgers feed on medium to large , , fish, small including and , , , fungi, tubers and green food such as clover and grass, particularly in winter and during . Badgers typically capture large quantities of a single food type in each hunt. They generally do not consume more than of food per day, although young badgers under one year of age eat more than adults. An adult badger weighing eats a quantity of food equal to 3.4% of its body weight. Badgers typically eat prey on the spot, and rarely transport it to their setts. Surplus killing has been observed in chicken coops.
Badgers prey on rabbits all year round, particularly when their young are available. They locate young rabbits in their nests by scent, then dig vertically downwards to reach them. In mountainous or hilly areas where plant food is scarce, badgers rely on young rabbits as a principal food source. Adult rabbits are usually avoided, unless they are wounded or caught in traps. They consume them by turning them inside out and eating the meat, leaving the inverted skin uneaten. Hedgehogs are eaten in a similar manner. In areas where badgers are common, hedgehogs are scarce.
Some rogue badgers may kill lambs, though this is very rare. They may be wrongly implicated in lamb killings when discarded wool and bones are found near their setts. However, foxes, which sometimes live alongside badgers, are often the real culprits, as badgers do not transport food to their setts. They typically kill lambs by biting them behind the shoulder. Poultry and are also taken only rarely. Some badgers may build their setts in proximity to poultry or game farms without ever causing damage. In the rare instances in which badgers kill reared birds, this usually occurs in February–March when food is scarce due to harsh weather and increased badger populations. Badgers can easily breach with their jaws and are mostly indifferent to , even when set upon by swarms.
Badgers are vulnerable to the mustelid herpesvirus-1, as well as rabies and canine distemper, though the latter two are absent in Great Britain. Other diseases found in European badgers include arteriosclerosis, pneumonia, pleurisy, nephritis, enteritis, polyarthritis and lymphosarcoma.
Internal parasites of badgers include , and several species of tapeworm. carried by them include the Paraceras melis (the badger flea), Chaetopsylla trichosa and Pulex irritans (the human flea), the lice Trichodectes melis and the Ixodes ricinus, Ixodes canisuga, Ixodes hexagonus, Ixodes reduvius and Ixodes melicula. They also suffer from mange and spend much time grooming, with individuals concentrating on their own ventral areas and alternating between sides, while social grooming involves one badger grooming another on its dorsal surface. Fleas try to avoid scratching by retreating rapidly downwards and backwards through the fur. This was in contrast to fleas away from their host, which ran upwards and jumped when disturbed. Grooming seems to disadvantage fleas rather than merely having a social function.
In Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows, Mr. Badger is depicted as a gruff, solitary figure who "simply hates society", yet is a good friend to Mole and Ratty. As a friend of Toad's now-deceased father, he is often firm and serious with Toad, but at the same time generally patient and well-meaning towards him. He can be seen as a wise hermit, a good leader and gentleman, embodying common sense. He is also brave and a skilled fighter, and helps rid Toad Hall of invaders from the wild wood.
The "Frances" series of children's books by Russell Hoban and Lillian Hoban depicts an Anthropomorphism badger family.
In T. H. White's Arthurian series The Once and Future King, the young King Arthur is transformed into a badger by Merlin as part of his education. He meets with an older badger who tells him "I can only teach you two things – to dig, and love your home."White, T.H. (1939) 'The Once And Future King.' 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016.
A villainous badger named Tommy Brock appears in Beatrix Potter's 1912 book The Tale of Mr. Tod. He is shown kidnapping the children of Benjamin Bunny and his wife Flopsy, and hiding them in an oven at the home of Mr. Tod the fox, whom he fights at the end of the book. The portrayal of the badger as a filthy animal which appropriates fox dens was criticized from a naturalistic viewpoint, though the inconsistencies are few and employed to create individual characters rather than evoke an archetypical fox and badger.MacDonald, Ruth K., Beatrix Potter, p.47, Twayne Publishers, 1986, A wise old badger named Trufflehunter appears in C. S. Lewis' Prince Caspian, where he aids Caspian X in his struggle against King Miraz.
A badger takes a prominent role in Colin Dann's The Animals of Farthing Wood series as second in command to Fox. The badger is also the house symbol for Hufflepuff in the Harry Potter book series. The Redwall series also has the Badger Lords, who rule the extinct volcano fortress of Salamandastron and are renowned as fierce warriors. The children's television series Bodger & Badger was popular on CBBC during the 1990s and was set around the mishaps of a mashed potato-loving badger and his human companion.
An unnamed badger is part of Bosnian Serb writer Petar Kočić's satirical play Badger on Tribunal in which local farmer David Štrbac attempts to sue a badger for eating his crops. It is actually highly critical towards Austro-Hungarian rule in Bosnia and Herzegovina at the beginning of the 20th century. In honor of Kočić and his Badger, satirical theater in Banja Luka is named Jazavac (Badger).
Some badger products have been used for medical purposes; badger expert Ernest Neal, quoting from an 1810 edition of The Sporting Magazine, wrote;
The hair of the European badger has been used for centuries for making and Shave brush. Sporrans are traditionally worn as part of male Scottish highland dress. They form a bag or pocket made from a Fur and a badger or other animal's mask may be used as a flap. The pelt was also formerly used for pistol furniture.
Relationships with other non-human predators
European badgers have few natural enemies. Although they are normally docile, badgers can become extremely aggressive and ferocious when cornered, which makes them dangerous for predators to target. Wolf ( Canis lupus), ( Lynx lynx) and ( Ursus arctos), Europe's three largest remaining land predators, and large Dog ( C. familiaris) can pose a threat to adult badgers. However, deaths caused by them are rare as these predators are often limited in population due to human persecution and usually prefer larger, easier prey such as . Badgers, on the other hand, may fight viciously if they are aware of a predator and are cornered without an escape route.Sidorovich, V. E., Rotenko, I. I., & Krasko, D. A. (2011, March). Badger Meles meles spatial structure and diet in an area of low earthworm biomass and high predation risk. In Annales Zoologici Fennici (Vol. 48, No. 1, pp. 1–16). Finnish Zoological and Botanical Publishing.Olsson, O., Wirtberg, J., Andersson, M., & Wirtberg, I. (1997). Wolf Canis lupus predation on moose Alces alces and roe deer Capreolus capreolus in south-central Scandinavia. Wildlife biology, 3(1), 13–25.Butler, J. M., & Roper, T. J. (1995). Escape tactics and alarm responses in badgers Meles meles: a field experiment. Ethology, 99(4), 313-322. They may live alongside ( Vulpes vulpes) in isolated sections of large burrows. The two species possibly tolerate each other out of commensalism; foxes provide badgers with food scraps, while badgers maintain the shared burrow's cleanliness.Dale, Thomas Francis, The fox, Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906 However, cases are known of badgers driving vixens from their dens and destroying their litters without eating them. In turn, red foxes are known to have killed badger cubs in spring.Palomares, F., & Caro, T. M. (1999). Interspecific killing among mammalian carnivores. The American Naturalist, 153(5), 492–508. ( Aquila chrysaetos) are known predators of European badgers and attacks by them on badger cubs are not infrequent, including cases where they have been pulled out directly from below the legs of their mothers, and even adult badgers may be attacked by this eagle species when emerging weak and hungry from hibernation.Watson, J. (2010). The golden eagle. Poyser Monographs; A&C Black.Sørensen, O. J., Totsås, M., Solstad, T., & Rigg, R. (2008). Predation by a golden eagle on a brown bear cub. Ursus, 19(2), 190–193. Eurasian eagle owls ( Bubo bubo) may also take an occasional cub and other large raptors such as white-tailed eagles ( Haliaeetus albicilla) and greater spotted eagle ( Clanga clanga) are considered potential badger cub predators.Korpimäki, E., & Norrdahl, K. (1989). Avian predation on mustelids in Europe 1: occurrence and effects on body size variation and life traits. Oikos, 205–215. may extensively use badger setts for shelter. There are many known cases of badgers and raccoon dogs wintering in the same hole, possibly because badgers enter hibernation two weeks earlier than the latter, and leave two weeks later. In exceptional cases, badger and raccoon dog cubs may coexist in the same burrow. Badgers may drive out or kill raccoon dogs if they overstay their welcome.Heptner, V. G. ; Naumov, N. P., Mammals of the Soviet Union Vol.II Part 1a, SIRENIA AND CARNIVORA (Sea cows; Wolves and Bears), p. 107, Science Publishers, Inc. USA. 1998,
Diseases and parasites
Bovine tuberculosis (bovine TB) caused by Mycobacterium bovis is a significant factor in badger mortality, although infected badgers can survive and breed successfully for years before succumbing to the disease. The disease was first observed in badgers in Switzerland in 1951 in Switzerland where they were believed to have contracted it from chamois ( Rupicapra rupicapra) or roe deer ( Capreolus capreolus). It was detected in the United Kingdom in 1971 where it was linked to an outbreak of bovine TB in cows. Evidence suggests that badgers are the primary reservoir of infection for cattle in the southwest of England, Wales and Ireland. Since then there has been considerable controversy as to whether culling badgers will effectively reduce or eliminate bovine TB in cattle.
Conservation
The International Union for Conservation of Nature rates the European badger as being of least concern. This is because it is a relatively common species with a wide distribution, and its populations are generally stable. In Central Europe, badgers have become more abundant in recent decades due to a reduction in the incidence of rabies. In other areas it has also fared well, with increases in numbers in Western Europe including Great Britain. However, in some areas of intensive agriculture, it has declined due to loss of habitat, and in others it is hunted as a pest.
Cultural significance
Badgers play a part in European folklore and are featured in modern literature. In Irish mythology, badgers are portrayed as Shapeshifting and kinsmen to Tadg, the king of Tara and foster father of Cormac mac Airt. In one story, Tadg berates his adopted son for having killed and prepared some badgers for dinner.Monaghan, Patricia, The encyclopedia of Celtic mythology and folklore, p.436, Infobase Publishing, 2004, In German folklore, the badger is portrayed as a cautious, peace-loving Philistinism, who loves more than anything his home, family and comfort, though he can become aggressive if surprised. He is a cousin of Reynard the Fox, whom he uselessly tries to convince to return to the path of righteousness.
Heraldry
European badger appears on the coat of arms of the municipality of Luhanka in Central Finland, referring to the former importance of the fur trade in the locality. (1982). 9789517730853, Suomen Kunnallisliitto. ISBN 9789517730853 The badger is also the title animal of the Nurmijärvi municipality in Uusimaa, Finland, where it is a very common mammal. Vaakunat ja tunnukset – Nurmijärvi (in Finnish)
Hunting
European badgers are of little significance to hunting economies, though they may be actively hunted locally. Methods used for hunting badgers include catching them in jaw traps, ambushing them at their setts with guns, smoking them out of their earths and through the use of specially bred dogs such as and to dig them out. Badgers are, however, notoriously durable animals; their skins are thick, loose and covered in long hair which acts as protection, and their heavily ossified skulls allow them to shrug off most , as well as shotgun pellets.
Badger-baiting
Badger-baiting was once a popular blood sport, in which badgers were captured alive, placed in boxes, and attacked with dogs. In the UK, this was outlawed by the Cruelty to Animals Act 1835 and again by the Protection of Animals Act 1911. Moreover, the cruelty towards and killing of the badger constitute offences under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 (c. 51), and further offences under this act are inevitably committed to facilitate badger-baiting (such as interfering with a sett, or the taking or the very possession of a badger for purposes other than nursing an injured animal to health). If convicted, badger-baiters may face a sentence of up to six months in jail, a fine of up to £5,000, and other punitive measures, such as community service or a ban from owning dogs.
Culling
Many badgers in Europe were gassed during the 1960s and 1970s to control rabies. The European badger ( Meles meles) . badger.org.uk Until the 1980s, badger culling in the United Kingdom was undertaken in the form of gassing, to control the spread of bovine tuberculosis (bTB). Limited culling resumed in 1998 as part of a 10-year randomized trial cull which was considered by John Krebs and others to show that culling was ineffective. Some groups called for a selective cull, while others favoured a programme of vaccination, and vets support the cull on compassionate grounds as they say that the illness causes much suffering in badgers. In 2012, the government authorized a limited cull led by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), however, this was later deferred with a wide range of reasons given. In August 2013, a full culling programme began where about 5,000 badgers were killed over six weeks in West Somerset and Gloucestershire by marksmen with high-velocity rifles using a mixture of controlled shooting and free shooting (some badgers were trapped in cages first). The cull caused many protests with emotional, economic and scientific reasons being cited. The badger is considered an iconic species of the British countryside, though is not endangered. It was claimed by shadow ministers that "The government's own figures show it will cost more than it saves...", and Lord Krebs, who led the Randomised Badger Culling Trial in the 1990s, said the two pilots "will not yield any useful information". A scientific study of culling from 2013 to 2017 has shown a reduction of 36–55% incidence of bovine tuberculosis in cattle.
Tameability
There are several accounts of European badgers being tamed. Tame badgers can be affectionate pets, and can be trained to come to their owners when their names are called. They are easily fed, as they are not fussy eaters, and will instinctively unearth rats, moles and young rabbits without training, though they do have a weakness for pork. Although there is one record of a tame badger befriending a fox, they generally do not tolerate the presence of cats and dogs, and will chase them.
Uses
Badger meat is eaten in some districts of the former Soviet Union, though in most cases it is discarded. made from badgers were once highly esteemed in England, Wales and Ireland.
The flesh, blood and grease of the badger are very useful for oils, ointments, salves and powders, for shortness of breath, the cough of the lungs, for the stone, sprained sinews, collachs etc. The skin being well dressed is very warm and comfortable for ancient people who are troubled with paralytic disorders.
Works cited
(2026). 9780906282656, Mammal Society. ISBN 9780906282656
(2026). 9789004088764, Smithsonian Institution Libraries and National Science Foundation. ISBN 9789004088764
External links
Badgers and TB in the UK
Categories: Mammals Described In 1758, Badgers, Mammals Of Asia, Mammals Of Azerbaijan, Mammals Of Europe, Mammals Of The Middle East, Fauna Of Turkey, Fauna Of Syria, Fauna Of Lebanon, Articles Containing Video Clips, Extant Middle Pleistocene First Appearances, Animal Taxa Named By Carl Linnaeus, Fauna Of Albania
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