European Badger (Meles meles) lives in temperate woodland across Most of Europe. It feeds on earthworms & insects. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the European Badger
- Their underground highways, with passages measured at 35-81 m (115-266 ft). These burrows have multiple chambers and entrances and comprise extensive systems of underground passages measuring 35-81 m (115-266 ft) in length. Generally, the passages are 35-81 m (115-266 ft) long. Such sprawling setts let several families live side-by-side for decades, showing how badgers engineer stable, multi-generational homes and provide shelter for many other forest creatures.
- Badgers bulk up like seasonal weight-lifters, weighing 7-13 kg (15-29 lb) in spring and swelling to 15-17 kg (33-37 lb) by autumn before hibernation. Its weight varies, ranging from 7-13 kg (15-29 lb) in spring to 15-17 kg (33-37 lb) in autumn before the winter sleep period. The heaviest verified specimen was 27.2 kg (60 lb).
- Badgers are the most sociable of their clan, typically forming groups of six adults but sometimes gathering up to 23 members. European badgers are the most sociable of all badger species, forming groups of six adults on average, though larger groups of up to 23 individuals have been recorded. Social groups may have between 2 and 23 individuals. Average groups consist of 1 to 6 adults.
- British badgers have surged, with numbers jumping 77 % in the 1980s-1990s and reaching an estimated 300,000 by 2012. In the UK, the badger population increased by 77% during the 1980s and 1990s. The badger population in Great Britain in 2012 was estimated to be 300,000. This growth reflects successful adaptation to suburban habitats, but also fuels debates over culling and disease control.
- Despite being a carnivore by classification, they are true omnivores, devouring earthworms, insects, small mammals and a buffet of fruits and tubers. 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. Earthworms are one Eurasian badgers' primary food sources. Their flexible diet lets them thrive from woodlands to farms, controlling pest insects while dispersing seeds across the landscape.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeMost of Europe
HabitatTemperate woodland
DietEarthworms & insects
About the European Badger
As the sun dips below the horizon, the European Badger emerges from its underground sett, its distinctive white stripes glowing like lanterns in the fading light. With a deliberate, almost solemn gait, it moves through the forest, its powerful claws and broad paws propelling it with a quiet confidence, as if it owns the very land itself. In this nocturnal world of shadows and silence, the badger reigns supreme, its rugged, unyielding spirit a testament to its enduring presence in the wild.
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European Badger photographed on Feravox
