Species profile

Name: the European badger (Meles meles) is a member of the Mustelidae family that is native to almost all of Europe and some parts of Western Asia.

Appearance: badgers are powerfully built with small heads, stocky bodies, and short tails. They are easily recognisable by their distinctive black and white striped faces.

Size: badgers typically measure around 30 cm tall and 1.0 m long. Their weight can vary from around 10 kg in spring to 15 kg in autumn as they prepare for hibernation.

Diet: although they are classified as carnivores, European badgers feed on a variety of plant and animal foods including worms, insects, small mammals, cereals, and tubers.

Did you know: European badgers are burrowing animals that sleep during the day in one of several ‘setts’. These setts have multiple chambers and entrances making up a network of underground passages that can reach over 80 metres! They can house several badger families that use the same sett for decades. Badgers are very fussy over the cleanliness of their burrows, carrying in fresh bedding and removing dirty material. They also make sure to go to the toilet outside of the sett to keep it clean! Badgers sometimes share their burrows with other species such as rabbits and foxes although can be ferocious if an intruder is unwanted.

Location: European badgers are native to most of Europe and parts of Western Asia. They can be found in woodlands, scrub, and pasture land, as well as urban parks.

Where to see European Badgers

According to reports submitted to WildSide, you can see European badgers in the following places:

Photo credit: andyballard under a Creative Commons license from Pixabay