The European badger is scientifically known as Meles Meles. It can also be called the Eurasian badger.
It is one of the species of badgers from the Mustelidae family.
It is also endemic to virtually the entire continent of Europe and parts of Western Asia.
Due to its broad range and ever-increasing population, the IUCN Red List has classified the European Badger as the least concern.
In parts of Europe where other species of badgers are absent, the European Badger is usually called “badger.”
The word “badger” dates back to the early sixteenth century. The French word “bêcheur” translates to “digger” in English.
A male badger is called a boar, a female sow is called a young badger, and a young badger is called a cub.
The badger’s home is referred to as a sett. Badger colonies are often called clans.
Scientific Classification
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Carnivora |
| Family | Mustelidae |
| Genus | Meles |
| Species | M. meles |
Description & Habits
The European badger has a sturdy physique, and its fur is colored in black, white, brown & grey.
The animal has a small head, a short tail, and tiny black eyes. Its weight ranges between 7 to 13 kilograms during the spring season but can increase to 15 to 17 kilograms during the autumn season.
The animal is both nocturnal and social. It spends its days sleeping in its burrow. These caves are built in multiple sets spread across its territory.
They were made to have several entrances and chambers, plus an extensive network of underground pathways ranging between 35 to 31 meters. Nature’s very own architect, right?!
These burrows shelter multiple badger families that have used them for decades. The badgers are very neat animals and are very conscious of the cleanliness of their holes.
They carry fresh bedding and take out soiled ones. They also excrete in latrines deliberately situated outside their setts or on the way to their setts.
The European badger has a peculiar trait that includes sharing its burrow with animals such as raccoon dogs, red foxes, and even rabbits.
It can be aggressive and vicious when set off or infuriated. It’s renowned for this ferocity to the extent that it is exploited in an unlawful blood sport called badger-baiting.
The animal is also a reservoir for Bovine Tuberculosis, primarily affecting cattle.
The badger’s feet are plantigrade, meaning they walk on the ground with the sole of their feet. Their feet are also short and big, with nude surfaces on the feet’s lower levels.
They possess claws that are blunt, lengthened, and powerful. They use these strong claws to dig their burrows.
The claws cannot be retracted, and they diminish with age. The hind claws of aged badgers are often worn out almost totally because of consistent use.
The badger also has a pliable and sturdy snout to dig and search the earth. They have short, white-tipped ears plus whiskers on their snout and above their eyes.
The male badgers have broader heads, sturdier necks, and narrower tails than the female badgers, which are sleeker and more fluffy tails.
The European badgers also have larger guts than the red foxes. Both the boars and sows possess six nipples, but these nipples are more pronounced in the sows.
Unlike Polecats, Wolverines, Martens, and even the closely related Honeybadger, the European badgers do not have flexible backs, nor can they stand fully erect.
They can move fast at full gallop and reach a top speed of 30 kilometers per hour.
If average weights were to be used as the benchmark, the European badger would rank as the second-largest terrestrial mustelid, just behind only the Wolverine.
They have keen olfactory senses, but their vision is said to be marred by complete color blindness. Their non-reaction to red lanterns portrays their monochromacy. They can only see objects in motion.
Their auditory senses are said to be on an equal level with humans.
Size
A fully matured badger can measure the following:
- Shoulder height: 25 -30 centimeters
- Body length: 60 – 90 centimeters
- Tail length: 12 – 24 centimeters
- Hind foot length: 7.5 – 13 centimeters
- Ear height: 3.5 – 7 centimeters
The boars are larger than the sows, and the variance in size ranges from slightly bigger to considerably bigger.
Offspring
Mating between European badgers occurs when they are in estrus; this can last from 4 to 6 days and could probably occur throughout the year.
Boars reach sexual maturity from the tender age of twelve to fifteen months, but in some cases, the range of ages can be longer.
From January to May, the boars are usually very potent sexually. Female badgers begin their ovulation cycle in their second year, although they are exceptions, with some sows ovulating as early as nine months.
The sows can mate any time during the year, but their mating usually peaks around February to May. The boars are usually monogamous, and a boar can mate with one sow throughout his lifetime.
However, the sows can mate with multiple boars and mating between a boar and a sow lasts 15-60 minutes. Their gestation lasts for about seven weeks.
The animal’s young ones are called cubs, usually born between January and March. This delivery takes place in their bedded burrows.
In flooded areas, cubs may be birthed to the above-ground buildings. Only the dominant sows can mate because they suppress the mating and reproduction of less dominant sows.
Their litter usually consists of 1-5 cubs, and dominant sows may kill the cubs of subordinates. Their cubs are given birth to pink, with greyish-silver fur and closed eyelids. After 3 to 5 days, their claws become pigmented, and dark hairs start to show.
After four to five weeks, their eyes open, and they develop milk teeth. They suckle for four or five months. The subordinate sows usually aid the mother in protecting, feeding, and nurturing the cubs. Their lifespan ranges between 6-16 years.
Habitat
The European badger has diverse habitats, including farmlands, grasslands, scrub hedges, riverine areas, steppes, and semi-deserts. But their favorite habitat is a deciduous conifer and mixed woodland opposite open fields.
Diet
European badgers are omnivorous animals. They feed on both plant and animal-sourced food. Their diets typically consist of earthworms, fruits, insects, lizards, eggs, frogs, small mammals, and dead flesh.
Conservation Status
Although their population is threatened by habitat loss, being hunted for sports, being hit by cars, and their vector status (carriers of Bovine Tuberculosis), their population is relatively steady as it has undergone little changes. Fortunately, their conservation status is listed as “least concern.”
