3. Introduction
Badgers are nocturnal and elusive, but remain one of the UK's
favorite mammals. Like humans, they are omnivorous, although
unlike us, they eat several hundred earthworms every night.
Badgers are social creatures and live together in large
underground sets, comprised of a series of interlocking tunnels with
nest chambers, toilets and several entrances. They inherit these sets
from their parents, while always expanding and refining them. The
resulting huge tunnel systems are, in some cases, centuries old.
Scientific name: Meles meles
Rank: Species
Common names:
Eurasian badger,
European badger
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8. The European Badger
The European Badger (Meles meles) is a species of badger of the
genus Meles, native to almost all of Europe. It is classed as Least
Concern for extinction by the IUCN, due to its wide distribution
and large population.
The European badger is a social burrowing animal which lives on a
wide variety of plant and animal food. It is very fussy over the
cleanliness of its burrow, and defecates in latrines. Cases are known
of European badgers burying their dead family members. Although
ferocious when provoked, a trait which was once exploited for the
blood sport of badger-baiting, the European badger is generally a
peaceful animal, having been known to share its burrows with other
species such as rabbits, red foxes and raccoon dogs. Although it
does not usually prey on domestic stock, the species is nonetheless
alleged to damage livestock through spreading bovine tuberculosis .
