Content deleted Content added
No edit summary Tags: Reverted Mobile edit Mobile web edit |
mNo edit summary |
||
(34 intermediate revisions by 26 users not shown) | |||
Line 4:
| fossil_range = {{Fossil range|0.7|0}}[[Middle Pleistocene]] – Recent
| image = Mäyrä Ähtäri 4.jpg
| image_caption = In [[Ähtäri Zoo]], [[Finland]]
| status =
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name=iucn>{{cite iucn |title=''Meles meles'' |name-list-style=amp |author=Kranz, A. |author2=Abramov, A.V. |author3=Herrero, J. |author4=Maran, T. |date=2016 |page=e.T29673A45203002 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T29673A45203002.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref>
Line 16:
}}
The '''European badger''' ('''''Meles meles'''''), also known as the '''Eurasian badger''', is a [[badger]] species in the [[Family (biology)|family]] [[Mustelidae]] native to
The European badger is a powerfully built, black, white, brown, and grey animal with a small head, a stocky body, small
Although classified as a [[carnivore]], the European badger
==Nomenclature==
The [[Derivation (linguistics)|source]] of the word "badger" is uncertain. The [[Oxford English Dictionary]] states it probably derives from "badge" + ''-ard'',
The far older name "brock" ({{lang-ang|brocc}}), ({{lang-sco|brock}}) is a [[Celtic languages|Celtic]] [[loanword]] (cf. [[Goidelic languages|Gaelic]] {{lang|cel|broc}} and [[Welsh language|Welsh]] {{lang|cy|broch}}, from [[Proto-Celtic]] {{lang|cel|*brokko}}) meaning 'grey'.<ref name="OED" /> The [[Proto-Germanic]] term was {{lang|gem|*þahsu-}} (cf. [[German language|German]] {{lang|de|Dachs}}, [[Dutch language|Dutch]] {{lang|nl|das}}, [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]] {{lang|no|svin-toks}}; [[Early Modern English]] ''dasse''), probably from the [[Proto-Indo-European language|PIE]] [[root (linguistics)|root]] {{lang|ine|*tek'-}} 'to construct',
Until the mid-18th century, European badgers were variously known in English as brock, pate, grey, and bawson. The name "bawson" is derived from "bawsened", which refers to something striped with white. "Pate" is a local name
<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.geiriadur.net/index.php?page=ateb&term=badger&direction=ew&type=all&whichpart=exact |title=Badger |work=Geiriadur: Welsh-English / English-Welsh On-line Dictionary |publisher=University of Wales: Trinity Saint David |access-date=2013-10-05}}</ref>
Line 34:
=== Evolution ===
The species likely evolved from the Chinese ''Meles thorali'' of the early [[Pleistocene]]. The modern species originated during the early [[Middle Pleistocene]], with fossil sites occurring in [[Episcopia, Italy|Episcopia]], [[Grombasek]], [[Süssenborn]], [[Hundsheim]], [[Erpfingen]], [[
===Subspecies===
Line 61:
{{small|''tauricus'' (Ognev, 1926)}}<br/>
{{small|''danicus'' (Degerbøl, 1933)}}
|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.<ref name="s1253">{{Harvnb|Heptner|Sludskii|
|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]]
|-style="vertical-align: top;"
Line 72:
|'''Kizlyar badger''' (''M. m. heptneri'')
|[[Sergey Ognev|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.<ref name="s1254">{{Harvnb|Heptner|Sludskii|
|Steppe region of northeastern Ciscaucasia, the Kalmytsk steppes and the Volga delta
|-style="vertical-align: top;"
Line 87:
[[File:Meles meles 02 MWNH 458.jpg|thumb|Skull of a European badger]]
[[File:Animaldentition melesmeles.jpg|thumb|Dentition]]
European badgers are powerfully built animals with small heads, thick, short necks, stocky, wedge-shaped bodies and short tails. Their feet are [[plantigrade]]<ref name="Raichev">{{cite journal|author=Raichev, E.|year=2010|title=Adaptability to locomotion in snow conditions of fox, gackal, wild cat, badger in the region of Sredna Gora, Bulgaria|journal=Trakia Journal of Sciences|volume=8|issue=2|pages=499–505}}</ref> or semidigitigrade<ref name="Polly">{{cite journal|author=Polly, P. D.|author2=MacLeod, N. |name-list-style=amp|year=2008|title=Locomotion in fossil Carnivora: an application of eigensurface analysis for morphometric comparison of 3D surfaces |journal=Palaeontologia Electronica|volume=11|issue=2|pages=10–13}}</ref> and short, with five toes on each foot.<ref name="h427"/> The limbs are short and massive, with naked lower surfaces on the feet. The claws are strong, elongated and have an obtuse end, which assists in digging.<ref name="s1234">{{Harvnb|Heptner|Sludskii|
Boars typically have broader heads, thicker necks and narrower tails than sows, which are sleeker, have narrower, less domed heads and fluffier tails. The guts of badgers are longer than those of [[red fox]]es, reflecting their omnivorous diet. The [[small intestine]] has a mean length of {{cvt|5.36|m}} and lacks a [[cecum]]. Both sexes have three pairs of [[nipple]]s but these are more developed in females.<ref name="h427">{{Harvnb|Harris|Yalden|2008|p=427}}</ref> European badgers cannot flex their backs as [[marten]]s, [[polecat]]s and [[wolverine]]s can, nor can they stand fully erect like [[honey badger]]s, though they can move quickly at full gallop.<ref name="s1234"/>
Adults measure {{cvt|25|–|30|cm}} in shoulder height,<ref name="p24">{{Harvnb|Pease|1898|p=24}}</ref> {{cvt|60|–|90|cm}} in body length, {{cvt|12|–|24|cm}} in tail length, {{cvt|7.5|–|13|cm}} in hind foot length and {{cvt|3.5|–|7|cm}} in ear height. Males (or boars) slightly exceed females (or sows) in measurements, but can weigh considerably more. Their weights vary seasonally, growing from spring to autumn and reaching a peak just before the winter. During the summer, European badgers commonly weigh {{cvt|7|–|13|kg}} and {{cvt|15|–|17|kg}} in autumn.<ref name="s1241">{{Harvnb|Heptner|Sludskii|
The average weight of adults in the [[Białowieża Forest]] was {{cvt|10.2|kg}} in spring but up to {{cvt|19|kg}} in autumn, 46% higher than the spring low mass.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Kowalczyk, R. |author2=Jȩdrzejewska, B. |author3=Zalewski, A. |year=2003 |title=Annual and circadian activity patterns of badgers (''Meles meles'') in Białowieża Primeval Forest (eastern Poland) compared with other Palaearctic populations |journal=Journal of Biogeography |volume=30 |issue=3 |pages=463–472 |doi=10.1046/j.1365-2699.2003.00804.x |bibcode=2003JBiog..30..463K |s2cid=56433126 |url=http://www.academia.edu/download/43448017/Annual_and_circadian_activity_patterns_o20160306-9581-d6nee5.pdf}}{{dead link|date=July 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> In [[Woodchester Mansion|Woodchester Park]], [[England]], adults in spring weighed on average {{cvt|7.9|kg}} and in fall average {{cvt|9.5|kg}}.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Delahay, R. J. |author2=Carter, S. P. |author3=Forrester, G. J. |author4=Mitchell, A. |author5=Cheeseman, C. L. |year=2006 |title=Habitat correlates of group size, bodyweight and reproductive performance in a
[[File:Meles meles (Eurasian badger) fur skin.jpg|thumb|Badger skin – the contrasting markings of the fur serve to warn off attackers rather than camouflage, as they are conspicuous at night.<ref name="n25">{{Harvnb|Neal|
European badger skulls are quite massive, heavy and elongated. Their [[braincase]]s are oval in outline, while the facial part of their skulls is elongated and narrow.<ref name="s1238">{{Harvnb|Heptner|Sludskii|
[[Scent gland]]s are present below the base of the tail and on the [[anus]]. The subcaudal gland secretes a musky-smelling, cream-coloured fatty substance, while the anal glands secrete a stronger-smelling, yellowish-brown fluid.<ref name="h428"/>
Line 102:
===Fur===
[[File:Erythristicbadger.JPG|thumb|left|Mounted [[erythrism|erythristic]] badger]]
In winter, the fur on the back and flanks is long and coarse, consisting of bristly guard hairs with a sparse, soft undercoat. The belly fur consists of short, sparse hairs, with skin being visible in the [[Groin|inguinal region]]. Guard hair length on the middle of the back is {{cvt|75|–|80|mm}} in winter. Prior to the winter, the throat, lower neck, chest and legs are black. The belly is of a lighter, brownish tint, while the inguinal region is brownish-grey. The general colour of the back and sides is light silvery-grey, with straw-coloured highlights on the sides. The tail has long and coarse hairs, and is generally the same colour as the back. Two black bands pass along the head, starting from the upper lip and passing upwards to the whole base of the ears. The bands sometimes extend along the neck and merge with the colour of the upper body. The front parts of the bands are {{cvt|15|mm}}, and widen to {{cvt|45|–|55|mm}} in the ear region. A wide, white band extends from the nose tip through the forehead and crown. White markings occur on the lower part of the head, and extend backwards to a great part of the neck's length. The summer fur is much coarser, shorter and sparser, and is deeper in colour, with the black tones becoming brownish, sometimes with yellowish tinges.<ref name="s1234"/> Partial [[melanism]] in badgers is known, and [[albino]]s and [[Leucism|leucists]] are not uncommon. Albino badgers can be pure white or yellowish with pink eyes, while leucistic ones are the same but with normal eyes instead. [[Erythrism|Erythristic]] badgers are more common than the former, being characterized by having a sandy-red colour on the usually black parts of the body. Yellow badgers are also known.<ref name="n27">{{Harvnb|Neal|
==Distribution and habitat==
The European badger is native to most of Europe. Its range includes Albania, Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Crete, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia
The distributional boundary between the ranges of European and [[Asian badger]]s is the [[Volga River]], the European species being situated on the western bank.<ref name=":0" /> The boundary between the ranges of the European and [[Caucasian badger]]s is in the [[North Caucasus]], but a clear boundary has not been defined, and they are [[Sympatry|sympatric]] in some regions, potentially forming a [[hybrid zone]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Abramov |first1=A. V. |last2=Puzachenko |first2=A. Yu. |date=2013 |title=The taxonomic status of badgers (Mammalia, Mustelidae) from Southwest Asia based on cranial morphometrics, with the redescription of ''Meles canescens'' |url=https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3681.1.2 |journal=Zootaxa|volume=3681 |issue=1|pages=44–58 |doi=10.11646/zootaxa.3681.1.2 |pmid=25232583}}</ref> They are common in [[European Russia]], with 30,000 individuals having been recorded there in 1990. They are abundant and increasing throughout their range, partly due to a reduction in [[rabies]] in Central Europe. In the UK, badgers experienced a 77% increase in numbers during the 1980s and 1990s.<ref name=iucn /> The badger population in Great Britain in 2012 is estimated to be 300,000.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |url=http://www.britishwildlifecentre.co.uk/planyourvisit/animals/badger.html |title=Badger: ''Meles meles'' |year=2012 |publisher=British Wildlife Centre |access-date=2013-07-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304042857/http://www.britishwildlifecentre.co.uk/planyourvisit/animals/badger.html |archive-date=2016-03-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Line 116:
[[File:Badger Scratching tree, Spier's, Beith.JPG|thumb|Scratching-tree of badgers]]
[[File:Dachse.webm|thumb|Two European badgers grooming each other]]
European badgers are the most social of badgers,<ref name="m117"/> forming groups of six adults on average, though larger associations of up to 23 individuals have been recorded. Group size may be related to habitat composition. Under optimal conditions, badger [[Territory (animal)|territories]] can be as small as {{cvt|30|ha}}, but may be as large as {{cvt|150|ha}} in marginal areas.<ref name="h430"/> Badger territories can be identified by the presence of communal [[latrine]]s and well-worn paths.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Schmid, T. K. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Roper, T. J. |author3=Christian, S. E. |author4=Ostler, J. |author5=Conradt, L. |author6=Butler, J. |year=1993 |title=Territorial marking with faeces in badgers (''Meles meles''): a comparison of boundary and hinterland latrine use |journal=Behaviour |volume=127 |issue=3–4 |pages=289–307 |doi=10.1163/156853993X00074 |s2cid=22043004}}</ref> It is mainly males that are involved in territorial aggression. A hierarchical social system is thought to exist among badgers and large powerful boars seem to assert dominance over smaller males. Large boars sometimes intrude into
Sparring and more vicious fights generally result from territorial defense in the breeding season.<ref name="Gallagher">{{cite journal |author1=Gallagher, J. |author2=Clifton-Hadley, R. S. |s2cid=12245569 |name-list-style=amp |year=2005 |title=Tuberculosis in badgers; a review of the disease and its significance for other animals |journal= Research in Veterinary Science |volume=69 |issue=3 |pages=203–217 |doi= 10.1053/rvsc.2000.0422|pmid=11124091 }}</ref> However, in general, animals within and outside a group show considerable tolerance of each other. Boars tend to mark their territories more actively than sows, with their territorial activity increasing during the mating season in early spring.<ref name="h430">{{Harvnb|Harris|Yalden|2008|pp=430–431}}</ref> Badgers [[
[[File:European Badger (Meles meles) (W1CDR0001490 BD4).ogg|thumb|Grunting and snuffling sounds]]
Line 128:
[[File:Heubach badger.jpg|thumb|A sett shown in an engraving]]
Like other badger species, European badgers are burrowing animals. However, the dens they construct (called setts) are the most complex, and are passed on from generation to generation.<ref name="m116">{{Harvnb|Macdonald|2001|p=116}}</ref> The number of exits in one sett can vary from a few to fifty. These setts can be vast, and can sometimes accommodate multiple families. When this happens, each family occupies its own passages and nesting chambers. Some setts may have exits which are only used in times of danger or play. A typical passage has a {{cvt|22|–|63|cm}} wide base and a {{cvt|14|–|32|cm}} height. Three sleeping chambers occur in a family unit, some of which are open at both ends. The nesting chamber is located {{cvt|5|–|10|m}} from the opening, and is situated more than a {{cvt|1|m}} underground, in some cases {{cvt|2.3|m}}. Generally, the passages are {{cvt|35|–|81|m}} long. The nesting chamber is on average {{cvt|74|x|76|cm}}, and are {{cvt|38|cm}} high.<ref name="s1269">{{Harvnb|Heptner|Sludskii|
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 on a single night. European badgers are fastidiously clean animals which 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.<ref name="h430"/> [[Spring cleaning]] is connected with the birth of cubs, and may occur several times during the summer to prevent parasite levels building up.<ref name="s1269"/>
If a badger dies within the sett, its [[Conspecificity|conspecifics]] will seal off the chamber and dig a new one. Some badgers will drag their dead out of the sett and bury them outside.<ref name="s1279">{{Harvnb|Heptner|Sludskii|
In extreme cases, when there is a lack of suitable burrowing grounds, badgers may move into haystacks in winter.<ref name="s1269"/> They may share their setts with [[red fox]]es or [[European rabbit]]s. The badgers may provide protection for the rabbits against other predators. The rabbits usually avoid predation by the badgers by inhabiting smaller, hard to reach chambers.<ref name="p45">{{Harvnb|Pease|1898|p=45}}</ref>
Line 138:
===Reproduction and development===
[[File:Badger family with 3 cubs in Bulgaria.webm|thumb|Badger with cubs]]
[[Estrus]] in European badgers lasts four to six days and may occur throughout the year, though there is a peak in spring. [[Sexual maturity]] in boars is usually attained at the age of twelve to fifteen months but this can range from nine months to two years. Males are normally [[fecund]] during January–May, with [[spermatogenesis]] declining in summer. Sows usually begin [[Ovulation|ovulating]] in their second year, though some exceptionally begin at nine months. They can mate at any time of the year, though the main peak occurs in February–May, when mature sows are in postpartal estrus and young animals experience their first estrus. Matings occurring outside this period typically occur in sows which either failed to mate earlier in the year or matured slowly.<ref name="h433"/> Badgers are usually [[Monogamy in animals|monogamous]]; boars typically mate with one female for life, whereas sows have been known to mate with more than one male.<ref name="s1278">{{Harvnb|Heptner|Sludskii|
The average litter consists of one to five cubs.<ref name="h433">{{Harvnb|Harris|Yalden|2008|pp=433–434}}</ref> Although many cubs are sired by resident males, up to 54% can be fathered by boars from different colonies.<ref name="h430"/> Dominant sows may kill the cubs of subordinates.<ref name="h431"/> Cubs are born pink, with greyish, silvery fur and fused eyelids. Neonatal badgers are {{cvt|12|cm}} in body length on average and weigh {{cvt|75|to|132|g}}, with cubs from large litters being smaller.<ref name="h433"/> By three to five days, their claws become pigmented, and individual dark hairs begin to appear.<ref name="s1278"/> 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|weaned]] 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.<ref name="h433"/> Cubs fully develop their adult coats at six to nine weeks.<ref name="s1278"/> In areas with medium to high badger populations, dispersal from the natal group is uncommon, though badgers may temporarily visit other colonies.<ref name="h432"/>
===Winter sleep===
Badgers begin to prepare for [[winter sleep]] during late summer by accumulating fat reserves, which reach a peak in October. During this period, the sett is cleaned and the nesting chamber is filled with bedding. Upon retiring to sleep, badgers block their sett entrances with dry leaves and earth. They typically stop leaving their setts once snow has fallen. In Russia and the Nordic countries, European badgers retire for winter sleep from late October to mid-November and emerge from their setts in March and early April.<ref name="s1272-1233">{{Harvnb|Heptner|Sludskii|
===Diet===
European badgers are among the least carnivorous members of the [[Carnivora]];<ref name="s1265">{{Harvnb|Heptner|Sludskii|
Occasionally, they feed on medium to large [[bird]]s, [[amphibian]]s, [[fish]], small [[reptile]]s including [[tortoise]]s and [[lizard]]s, [[snail]]s, [[slug]]s, fungi, tubers and green food such as [[clover]] and [[grass]], particularly in winter and during [[drought]]s.<ref name="h432-433">{{Harvnb|Harris|Yalden|2008|pp=432–433}}</ref><ref name=ADW/> Badgers characteristically capture large numbers of one food type in each hunt. Generally, they do not eat more than {{cvt|0.5|kg}} of food per day, with young specimens yet to attain one year of age eating more than adults. An adult badger weighing {{convert|15|kg|lb|abbr=on}} eats a quantity of food equal to 3.4% of its body weight.<ref name="s1265"/> Badgers typically eat prey on the spot, and rarely transport it to their setts. [[Surplus killing]] has been observed in chicken coops.<ref name="h432"/>
[[File:Badger 25-07-09.jpg|thumb|A badger in England scavenging food]]
Badgers prey on rabbits throughout the year, especially during times when their young are available. They catch young rabbits by locating their position in their nest by scent, then dig vertically downwards to them. In mountainous or hilly districts, where vegetable food is scarce, badgers rely on rabbits as a principal food source. Adult rabbits are usually avoided, unless they are wounded or caught in traps.<ref name="n70">{{Harvnb|Neal|
===Relationships with other non-human predators===
[[File:Red fox & two badgers.jpg|thumb|A [[red fox]] challenging two badgers moving towards a bird feeder at night]]
<!-- Yes, I know this only shows two badgers and one fox. If you check out the full set on flickr you can see larger group photos but I chose this because of the more striking composition. -->
European badgers have few natural enemies. While normally docile, badgers can become extremely aggressive and ferocious when cornered, making it dangerous for predators to target them. [[Wolf|Grey wolves]] (''Canis lupus''), [[Eurasian lynx]]es (''Lynx lynx'') and [[brown bear]]s (''Ursus arctos''), Europe's three largest remaining land predators, and large [[Dog|domestic dog]]s (''C. familiaris'') can pose a threat to adult badgers, though deaths caused by them are quantitatively rare as these predators are often limited in population due to human persecution and usually prefer easier, larger prey like [[ungulate]]s, while badgers may fight viciously if aware of a predator and cornered without an escape route.<ref name= Sidorovich>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.</ref><ref>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.</ref><ref name= Naves>{{cite journal |
===Diseases and parasites===
Bovine tuberculosis (bovine TB) caused by ''[[Mycobacterium bovis]]'' is a major mortality factor in badgers, though infected badgers can live and successfully breed for years before succumbing. The disease was first observed in badgers in 1951 in Switzerland where they were believed to have contracted it from [[chamois]] (''Rupicapra rupicapra'') or [[roe deer]] (''Capreolus capreolus'').<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Bouvier, G. |author2=Burgisser, H |author3=Sweitzer, R. |year=1951 |title=Tuberculose chez un chamois |journal=Schweizer Arch Tierheil |volume=93 |pages=689–695 }}</ref>
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]].<ref name="h435">{{Harvnb|Harris|Yalden|2008|p=435}}</ref>
Internal parasites of badgers include [[trematode]]s, [[nematode]]s and several species of [[tapeworm]].<ref name="h435"/> [[Ectoparasite]]s carried by them include the [[flea]]s ''[[Paraceras melis]]'' (the badger flea), ''[[Chaetopsylla trichosa]]'' and ''[[Pulex irritans]]'' (the human flea), the [[lice]] ''[[Trichodectes melis]]'' and the [[tick]]s ''[[Ixodes ricinus]]'', ''[[Ixodes canisuga|I. canisuga]]'', ''[[Ixodes hexagonus|I. hexagonus]]'', ''[[Ixodes reduvius|I. reduvius]]'' and ''[[Ixodes melicula|I. melicula]]''. They also suffer from mange.<ref name="h435"/> They spend much time grooming, individuals concentrating on their own ventral areas, alternating one side with the other, while social grooming occurs with one individual grooming another on its dorsal surface. Fleas tried to avoid the scratching, 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. The grooming seems to disadvantage fleas rather than merely having a social function.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Stewart, Paul D. |author2=Macdonald, David W. |year=2003 |title=Badgers and Badger Fleas: Strategies and Counter-Strategies |journal=Ethology |volume=109 |issue=9 |pages=751–763 |doi=10.1046/j.1439-0310.2003.00910.x |bibcode=2003Ethol.109..751S }}</ref>
==Conservation==
Line 172:
[[File:Tale of mr tod tommy brock.jpg|thumb|upright|Tommy Brock, as illustrated by [[Beatrix Potter]] in ''[[The Tale of Mr. Tod]]'']]
{{main|List of fictional badgers}}
Badgers play a part in European folklore and are featured in modern literature. In [[Irish mythology]], badgers are portrayed as [[
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.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Wind in the Willows |last=Grahame |first=Kenneth |year=1908 |publisher=Wordsworth Editions Ltd. |isbn=978-1853260179 }}</ref>
Line 178:
The "Frances" series of children's books by [[Russell Hoban|Russell]] and [[Lillian Hoban]] depicts an [[Anthropomorphism|anthropomorphic]] 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.
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.<ref>MacDonald, Ruth K., ''Beatrix Potter'', p.47, Twayne Publishers, 1986, {{ISBN|0-8057-6917-X}}</ref> A wise old badger named [[Trufflehunter]] appears in [[C. S. Lewis]]' ''[[Prince Caspian]]'', where he aids [[Caspian X]] in his struggle against [[King Miraz]].<ref>{{cite book |title= Prince Caspian | first= Lewis |last= C.S. |year=1951 |publisher=Harper Collins |isbn=978-0006716792
A badger takes a prominent role in [[Colin Dann]]'s ''[[The Animals of Farthing Wood (book series)|The Animals of Farthing Wood]]'' series as second in command to Fox.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Animals of Farthing Wood |last=Dann |first=Colin
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).
Line 192:
===Hunting===
[[File:Deiker Jagdbare Tiere 1093210.jpg|thumb|Illustration of a badger brought to bay by a Dachshund (''Dachshund'' is German for "badger-dog")]]
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 [[Fox Terrier]]s and [[Dachshund]]s to dig them out.<ref name="s1281">{{Harvnb|Heptner|Sludskii|
===Badger-baiting===
Line 200:
===Culling===
{{see also|Badger culling in the United Kingdom}}
Many badgers in [[Europe]] were gassed during the 1960s and 1970s to control [[rabies]].<ref>[http://www.badger.org.uk/_Attachments/Resources/283_S4.pdf The European badger (''Meles meles'')] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120901125204/http://www.badger.org.uk/_Attachments/Resources/283_S4.pdf |date=2012-09-01 }}. badger.org.uk</ref> Until the 1980s, [[badger culling in the United Kingdom]] was undertaken in the form of gassing, to control the spread of [[Tuberculosis#Other animals|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,<ref name=Moody>{{cite news |title=Badger cull is necessary to stop them suffering, say vets |author=Moody, Oliver |url=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/environment/wildlife/article3750331.ece |newspaper=The Times: Wildlife |date=2013-04-27 |access-date=2013-08-30}}</ref> 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.<ref name=Moody/>
===Tameability===
[[File:'Honey' and Laura - geograph.org.uk - 2458524.jpg|thumb|A tame orphan badger with keeper]]
[[File:Tam grävling i Plantis 2298.jpg|thumb|A hand reared European badger showed at the celebration of the [[National Day of Sweden]]]]
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.<ref name="p58">{{Harvnb|Pease|1898|pp=58–61}}</ref>{{Dubious|Pet section|date=December 2023}}
===Uses===
Line 212:
Some badger products have been used for medical purposes; badger expert Ernest Neal, quoting from an 1810 edition of ''[[The Sporting Magazine]]'', wrote;
<blockquote>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.<ref name="n152">{{Harvnb|Neal|
The hair of the European badger has been used for centuries for making [[sporran]]s{{refn|name=n152}} and [[Shave brush|shaving brushes]].{{sfnp|''EB''|1878}}<ref name="Griffiths & Thomas">{{cite book |last1=Griffiths |first1=H.I.|last2=Thomas |first2=D.H. |title=The Conservation and Management of the European Badger (''Meles Meles'') |date=1997 |publisher=Council of Europe |location=Strasbourg |isbn=978-9-28-713447-9 |page=53 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zVSd-y-czIkC&pg=PA53}}</ref> Sporrans are traditionally worn as part of male Scottish [[highland dress]]. They form a bag or pocket made from a [[Fur|pelt]] and a badger or other animal's mask may be used as a flap.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/6234290.stm |title=Sporran wearers may need licence |access-date=2013-07-11 | work=BBC News | date=2007-06-24}}</ref> The pelt was also formerly used for [[pistol furniture]].{{sfnp|''EB''|1878}}
Line 220:
{{Reflist}}
===Works cited===
*{{cite EB9 |mode=cs2 |wstitle=Badger |volume=3
*{{cite EB1911 |mode=cs2 |wstitle=Badger |volume=3 |ref={{harvid|''EB''|1911}} |page=188}}
*{{Cite book |last1=Harris |first1=S. |last2=Yalden|first2=D. |author-link2=Derek Yalden |title=Mammals of the British Isles |publisher=Mammal Society |edition=Fourth Revised |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-906282-65-6 }}
Line 226 ⟶ 227:
*{{Cite book |last1=Heptner |first1=V. G. |last2=Sludskii |first2=A. A. |title=Mammals of the Soviet Union |volume=II, Part 1b, Carnivores (Mustelidae and Procyonidae) |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=Smithsonian Institution Libraries and National Science Foundation |year=2001 |chapter=Badger ''Meles meles'' Linnaeus, 1758 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/mammalsofsov212001gept/page/1232 |pages=1232–1282 |isbn=90-04-08876-8 }}
*{{cite book |title=Mammals |last=König |first=C. |year=1973 |location=London |publisher=William Collins |isbn=0-00-212080-1}}
*{{Cite book |last=Macdonald |first=D. |author-link=David Macdonald (biologist)|title=The New Encyclopedia of Mammals |year=2001 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0-19-850823-9 }}
*{{Cite book |last=Neal |first=E. |title=The Badger |publisher=Collins |year=1976 |edition=Fifth |series=New Naturalist |location=London |isbn=9780002193993 }}
*{{Cite book |last=Pease |first=A. E. |author-link=Alfred Edward Pease |year=1898 |url=https://archive.org/details/badgermonograph00peasiala |title=The badger; a monograph |location=London |publisher=Lawrence and Bullen }}
Line 262 ⟶ 263:
===Claims of continued badger-hunting in the UK===
* Allegations of lamping (among other practices) were made in the appendix to the [https://web.archive.org/web/20050908134921/http://www.badger.org.uk/tb/980224kr.htm NFBG (now Badger Trust) response to the Krebs Report]
{{Carnivora|M.}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q27066}}▼
{{Authority control}}
▲{{Taxonbar|from=Q27066}}
[[Category:Mammals described in 1758]]
|