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 the UK it is the only extant species, and 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 nocturnal and social, living in burrows and sleeping during the day in one of several setts 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. 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 carnivoran, it is actually an omnivore that feeds on a variety of plant and animal foods, including earthworms, large insects, small mammals, carrion, cereals, and tubers. 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 have been known to share their burrows with other species, such as rabbits, red foxes, and raccoon dogs. 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 sometimes disputed, and badger culls are considered cruel and inhumane by some people.
Nomenclature The source of the word "badger" is uncertain. The Oxford English Dictionary states that it probably derives from "badge" + -ard, in reference to the white mark on its forehead that resembles a badge. This etymology may date to the early 16th century. The French word ('digger') has also been suggested as a source.Neal, Ernest G. and Cheeseman, C. L. (1996) Badgers, p. 2, T. & A.D. Poyser A male badger is a boar, a female is a sow, and a young badger is a cub. A badger's home is called a sett. Badger colonies are often called clans.
The far older name "brock" (, ) is a Celtic loanword (cf. Gaelic and Welsh , from Proto-Celtic ) meaning 'grey'. The Proto-Germanic term was (cf. German , Dutch , Norwegian ; Early Modern English dasse), probably from the PIE root 'to construct', which suggests that the badger was named after its digging of setts (tunnels); the Germanic term became or , in Latin glosses, replacing ('marten' or 'badger'), and from these words the common Romance terms for the animal evolved (Italian , French —now is more common—, Catalan , Spanish , Portuguese ) except Asturian .
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 ('earth pig').
Taxonomy Ursus meles was the scientific name used by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, who described the badger in his work Systema Naturae.
Evolution The species probably evolved from the Chinese Meles thorali of the early Pleistocene. The modern species originated in the early Middle Pleistocene, as evidenced by fossil sites in Episcopia, Grombasek, Süssenborn, Hundsheim, Erpfingen, Koněprusy, Mosbach 2, and Stránská Skála. Comparisons between fossil and living specimens demonstrate a progressive adaptation to omnivory, particularly evident in the increased surface area of the molars and the modification of the carnassials. Badger bones are occasionally discovered in earlier strata due to the burrowing habits of the species.
Subspecies In the 19th and 20th centuries, several badger type specimens were described and proposed as subspecies. , eight subspecies were recognized as valid taxa, but four (canescens, arcalus, rhodius, severzovi) are now considered to belong to a distinct species, the Caucasian badger (M. canescens).
SubspeciesTrinomial authority and synonymsDescriptionRangeCommon badger (M. m. meles)Linnaeus, 1758A 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 CaucasusIberian badger (M. m. marianensis)Graells, 1897 Spain and PortugalKizlyar badger (M. m. heptneri)Ognev, 1931A 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 deltaNorwegian badger (M. m. milleri)Baryshnikov, Puzachenko and Abramov, 2003This subspecies has a smaller skull and smaller teeth than the nominate badger subspecies in Sweden and Finland.Southwestern Norway, west of Telemark
In 2009, a cranial study was conducted comparing the skulls of European badgers from different regions. The results of the study suggested that the European badgers could be divided into three subspecies: M. m. millerei (Baryshnikov et al., 2003) for the south-western Norwegian badgers, M. m. meles (Linnaeus, 1758) for the main Fennoscandian badgers and the name M. m. europaeus (Desmarest, 1816) was proposed for the non-Fennoscandian badgers. In 2016, the system of three Meles meles subspecies was appointed again, but the name for the non-Fennoscandian badgers was corrected to M. m. taxus (Boddaert, 1785). The new taxonomic system of Meles meles subspecies can be summarized as follows:
Subspecies Trinomial authority and synonyms RangeSwedish badger (M. m. meles)Linnaeus, 1758Sweden, the eastern part of Norway, and southern Finland.Common badger (M. m. taxus)Boddaert, 1785The British Islands, and all continental Europe, eastward to the Volga River and the North Caucasus.Norwegian badger (M. m. milleri)Baryshnikov et al., 2003South-western Norway.
Description
European badgers are powerfully built animals with small heads, thick, short necks, stocky, wedge-shaped bodies and short tails. Their feet are either plantigrade or semi-digitigrade and short, with five toes on each foot. The limbs are short and massive, with bare lower surfaces on the feet. The claws are strong and elongated with an obtuse end to facilitate digging. The claws are not retractable, and the hind claws wear with age. Old badgers sometimes have their hind claws almost completely worn away from constant use. Their snouts, which are used for digging and probing, are muscular and flexible. Their eyes are small, and their ears are short and tipped with white. Whiskers are present on the snout and above the eyes.
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 red foxes, reflecting their omnivorous diet. The small intestine has an average length of and lacks a cecum. Both sexes have three pairs of nipples, though these are more developed in females. European badgers cannot flex their backs like martens, polecats and wolverines, nor can they stand fully erect like honey badgers. 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 monochromatic, 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 braincases are oval in shape, while the front part of their skulls is elongated and narrow. Adults have prominent sagittal crests 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 incisors are small and chisel-shaped, their canine teeth are prominent and their carnassials 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 once bit down so heavily on a man's wrist that his hand had to be amputated. The dental formula is .
Scent glands 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.
Fur