The Eurasian badger is 7 ft long from head to tail and can weigh about 30 lbs. A male is slightly larger than the female. The distinctive trademark of the badger is the white head with black stripes along each side of their face. Their ears are rounded and a small white tip. The face of this badger is longer and narrower than its American cousin. Their body normally has a black chest. Their legs are short and powerful. They have long claws used for burrowing both to eat for food and to create their homes which are called setts.
Have also been known to block the exit of a prey animal before digging underground from a different place.
Normally have their young in the spring during the range of months from January to March.
Average litter is 2 to 6 furless and bling young. At birth they are about 6 inches from head to tail.
They receive vision till they are 9 weeks of age. In very large litters it is rare for more than one of the young to survive.
They live in social groups of 4 to 12 badgers but it is rare for more than one female to breed in the group during the seasons.
These badgers are social unlike their American cousins. Their setts are underground homes that usually have several entrances. These holes tend to be the shape of a capital 'D'
The picture above shows an Eurasian badger's den. Do you notice the shape?
A flat side goes downwards and is at least 20 cms wide. Some of these setts are considered to be over a century old. A side from the main sett these badgers have smaller setts scattered through their entire territory. They use these emergency setts temporarily throughout the year.
Their preferred habitat are the sloping woodlands where drainage is very good and the ground is soft making it easy to dig up.
These setts consist of large chambers for sleeping and breeding. Small chambers are used as toilet rooms. These chambers are interlinked by small tunnels. A well-established sett in England was discovered to have twelve entrances. All tunnels measured to a total of 310 meters. It was estimated that these badgers had excavated 25 tonnes of soil throughout the year to create this complicated underground structure. Tunnels can be 4 meters deep but are normally only a meter deep underground. They are often followed by surface contours. These contours help with air circulation while ventilation holes sometimes connect a tunnel to the surface. These badgers also line their setts with moss and grasses which are renewed frequently.
Badger territories can be as small as 37 acres or in moorland are as large as 3,700 acres. IN large ranges boundaries are not defended. Badgers are not territorial and roam without confrontation. On the edges of smaller territories the boundaries are defended. The conspicuous pathways are associated with a number of chambers of badger latrines that consists of up to 50 pits each up to 4 inches deep. An average latrine maybe able to cover up an area of 20-55 sq ft. Latrines at territorial boundaries, found nearby a conspicuous landmark , are larger than those near setts or elsewhere. Latrine use reaches its peak during the months of February and May it become less needed as the October and November days come around. All badgers will not only defecate in latrines near territorial badgers but also scent mark nearby by rubbing their behind against a tree trunk or a fence post thus performing what we call a handstand to do.
In Britain is forbidden to kill badgers.
Badgers are nocturnal, but can found out during daylight hours to cool off in hot weather. They use their musk glands to leave scents on the ground to find their way around, mark their territory and to identify other badger groups or clans. Male badgers are known as boars and females as sows. They are omnivores meaning they will eat anything.
They have a wide variety of food. They can eat anything from meat, roots, vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, insects, and even carrion. This wide diet insures their survival in various climates and weather conditions.
Wild badgers have an average lifespan of up to 5 to 8 years old although they have been known to reach 15 years old. In captivity the oldest was known to be up 19 years and 6 months old.
These badgers have poor eyesight but their keen sense of smell and keen hearing make up for their eyes easily.
Badgers like these have a lot of problems. They are constantly having to adapt to urban life due to pressure moving on the countryside. They are minor nuisance by eating fruits or root vegetables, or making shallow pits in lawns when searching for insects and earthworms. Setting out alternate foods for badgers decrease this damage and are looked upon as captivating visitors.
50% of the badgers die in their first year. If they survive they may live for just 5 or 6 years. The most common death are road accidents. Other causes include baiting diseases, starvation, fighting and old age. In captivity badgers may live up to 10 to 12 years but aren't recommended as pets. Any animal that is injured or orphaned should be handed over to animal hospital and if possible released back to the wild.
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