Meles meles
FACTS AND FIGURES
Recognition: Black and white striped face. Body is grey, with black fur on legs.
Head/body length: about 750mm, tail 150mm
Weight: average 8-9kg in spring, 11-12kg in autumn.
Lifespan: The maximum life expectancy is about 14 years, though very few survive so long.
Diet: Exploit a wide variety of food items but earthworms form the majority of the diet.
GENERAL ECOLOGY
Badgers are widespread in Britain but are most common in the south west, rarer to the north and east, and only thinly distributed in Scotland. They are common throughout most of Ireland, and absent from the Isle of Mann, and most of the other islands.
Badgers are nocturnal and rarely seen during the day. When not active, badgers usually lie up in an extensive system of underground tunnels and nesting chambers, known as a sett. Each social group usually has a main sett where most of them live most of the time, but there may be odd holes scattered around the territory that are used occasionally.
Badgers can live in social groups of two to 23 adults, but usually around six. These defend an area around their main sett as a territory. Territories may be as small as 30ha, but are up to 150ha or more in the Highlands. Badgers mark the boundaries of territories with their distinctive latrines. They leave their faeces in collections of shallow pits, which in aggregate are called latrines.
Mating usually takes place between February to May but implantation is delayed until late winter. Only one female badger in a social group normally breeds, although occasionally two or more may do so. Litters of two or three cubs are usually born in February. Cubs are born blind and hairless in the safety of the nest. They usually appear above ground at about 8 weeks, and weening usually takes about 12 weeks. By late summer they are usually feeding independently but can be adversley affected by drought at this time causing starvation.
CONSERVATION
Badgers are protected by a number of laws. Badgers may not be deliberately killed, persecuted or trapped. Where badgers pose a problem, licences can be issued to permit certain activities. Badger baiting (using dogs to fight badgers) has been outlawed since 1835. The Badgers Act 1973 afforded limited protection against badger digging, but this practice was not finally outlawed until 1981.
The Protection of Badgers Act 1992 consolidates past badger legislation and, in addition to protecting the badger itself, makes it an offence to damage, destroy or obstruct badger setts.
About 80 local groups have been formed by enthusiasts wishing to protect and study badgers. There are many positive ways to help badger conservation. These include protecting badgers from diggers and baiters by re-inforcing setts, helping with care and rehabilitation of injured badgers, having tunnels and badger proof fencing added to new road schemes and giving advice about setts in the way of developers. Practical problems of this nature are covered in Problems with Badgers? (see below).
In 1988 there were estimated to be around 42,000 social groups of badgers, and just under 200,000 adult badgers. By 1997 this had risen to just over 50,000 social groups and 310,000 adult badgers. The population is now probably stable. Mortality is high, with around one-fifth of adults dying each year. Road traffic accidents are a major cause of death.
Some badgers are infected with bovine tuberculosis, particularly in the south west of England. These animals are the subject of a control campaign by Defra. There is a continuing debate about the role of badgers and cattle infecting each other with TB.
FREQUENT QUESTIONS
Where can I go to see badgers?
Many local badger groups organise badger watches. Join these, your Wildlife Trust or The Mammal Society to make contact with other badger watchers in your area. The National Federation of Badger Groups (The Badger Trust) can tell you the address of your local badger group. www.nfbg.org.uk
How do I know if badgers are in my area?
Walk along field edges looking for badger trails under fences or through hedges; the characteristic white-black-white hairs often snag on barbed wire. Another noticeable sign is the badger 'latrine'.
The most important sign that badgers are present is an active badger sett. These are often found at the edge of woods, adjoining pasture, but may be in hedgerows or even in the open. A badger sett typically has a large oval hole and a big mound of excavated earth outside. Examination of the soil will usually reveal the same distinctive hairs. The presence of discarded bedding is also distinctive of a badger sett (foxes and rabbits have smaller holes and mounds, and do not collect bedding).
What do I do if I see badger diggers or suspicious vehicles near a sett?
Take their car number, do not disturb them and call the police (dial 999) and in England or Wales the RSPCA (0345 888999), or in Scotland the SSPCA (0131 225 6418) at once.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Clark, M. (1988) Badgers. Whittet Books, London.
Harris, S. & Yalden, D.W. (2008) Mammals of the British Isles: Handbook, 4th edn. The Mammal Society, Southampton.
Roper, T.J. (2010) Badger. Collins New Naturalist.
Woods, M. (2010) The Badger. The Mammal Society, Southampton.
All available from The Mammal Society.
