Introduction to Badgers
Latin Name: Meles meles

Size

The Badger grows up to 30 inches (750 mm) from head to tail - with a six-inch (150 mm) tail, and weighs up to about 10 to 12 kg.

The female badger is slightly smaller than the male.

Pelage/fur

The hair is black and white - leading to a grey appearance from a distance. The badger has a black chest and forepaws; with a prominent black and white striped head with white ears.

Habitat

It lives in woods and copses, especially if attached to pastureland. Occasionally it can be seen in suburbs.

Badgers have a widespread distribution in the UK, with more in the wild/wet areas of the south and south-west, and fewer in flat and farmed areas, and above 900m.

Young

Mating usually occurs in July, but implantation can be delayed by 2 to 10 months. After then the badger is properly pregnant for about seven weeks.

There is normally a single litter of between 2 and 3 cubs born from January to March. The cubs are born blind, with dirty white fur on their upper body only.

Many cubs die within their first year, although those that do survive, often live for up to five years or more.

Nest

Badgers live in groups of up to 15 in an earthen sett. The sett is lined with moss and grass which the badger renews frequently. There will also be a special nesting chamber off the regular sett.

Diet

Although the badger is classed as a carnivore (it has large canine teeth), it is essentially omnivorous. As well as earthworms, beetles, voles, mice, frogs, snails and wasps, it also eats acorns, beech mast, bulbs, fruits and roots.

Voice

Badger cubs have a high-pitched whickering. Adults growl or bark as a warning or purr with pleasure. They are also known to emit a long-drawn scream (reason unknown).

Status

Generally the badger is well distributed across the UK, although it remains as an illegally persecuted animal in too many areas.

Badgers have been described as the oldest land-owners in Britain. Long before Britain was an island they were here.

They belong to the same family of mammals that have musk-bearing glands under their tails - including the Otters, polecat, stoat, weasel and pine marten.

Predators

Many others are killed on the roads and railways.