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Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing the European badger. Also known as the Eurasian badger, this mammal is part of the mustelid family which includes martens, weasels, otters, and more. There are multiple badger species around the world, but the Eurasian badger is most concentrated on the continents of its namesake. These mammals range from Ireland to eastern China and from the Arctic Circle to southern China. They're iconic for their short legs, stout body, and highly obvious black and white facial markings. 

European badgers are fossorial animals, they burrow underground and spend much of their life there. They live in dense, called setts, scattered throughout their habitat. These animals prefer places with dense, low-lying vegetation to conceal their setts as well as open expanses that border forests. Their main sett is located somewhere in the middle of their territory and they have satellite setts scattered around the remainder of their home. These are used for resting during the day. European badgers are generally nocturnal, doing most of their activity at night. This is when they're on the lookout for food.

These mammals are omnivores and they'll eat just about anything. From hedgehogs to birds, fruit, mushrooms, and more, they use their strong jaws and claws for gathering their food. Their favorite meals, however, are earthworms. In fact, if a badger has been munching on more earthworms, its stools will be darker and smellier! European badgers use latrines near their home to relieve themselves in a single, designated place. They also use scent to determine their territory boundaries and to identify group members.

Throughout some parts of their range, where prey and habitats are abundant, European badgers can afford to live in more densely populated family groups. On average these include about six adult members who tolerate each other's presence but don't necessarily work together in a strong hierarchy. By using scent from glands near their anus, European badgers can form a "group scent" to help them identify members of their own group and keep other badgers out. In fact, juveniles of these groups have been observed specifically seeking out the adults for their scent to reduce hostility!

Other European badgers live alone or in breeding pairs. These animals take care to keep their setts fresh and dry with new bedding which they back into the burrow bum first! Males are slightly heavier than females, but this isn't usually identifiable in the field. Their weight changes based on the season, but on average they weigh 22 to 35 pounds (10-16 kg). When first born, however, they weigh less than a pound!

European badgers breed throughout the year but females can delay egg implantation in their uterus so that most badger babies are born in late February to early March. This delay is believed to be caused by temperature and the amount of light. So a European badger's gestation can last 9 to 12 months. The babies are born in the sett. Litters can reach up to six young, but three is more common. They'll spend their fish two months underground and become independent by their first year of age.

Badgers have a reputation for being aggressive and they are often left alone, though the babies are at risk from predation by lynxes, wolves, bears, and other larger animals. Their greatest threats, however, are human-related. Badgers are struck down by vehicles and persecuted for damage to livestock and property, among  other anthropogenic threats. Of course, if they can avoid these, European badgers in the wild often live to see their fifth year of age, and those in captivity can reach nearly 20 years old!

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