The diet of the badger Meles meles in the Republic of Ireland

The diet of the Eurasian badger (Meles meles) in the Republic of Ireland was studied by examination of the stomach contents of 686 badgers, collected between March 2005 and September 2006. It was found that the relative importance of different food types, as indicated by their frequency of occurrence and ingested bulk in the diet, fluctuated seasonally. Tipulid larvae (Cl. Insecta, Ord. Tipulidae) dominated the diet in spring; Anura (Cl. Amphibia) and Aculeata (Ord. Hymenoptera) during the summer; and Noctuid larvae (Cl. Insecta, Ord. Noctuidae) in autumn and winter. Thus this type of foraging behaviour supports the contention that badgers are generalist foragers with seasonal food preferences. This feeding behaviour is more similar to that of badgers in Italy and Spain than to badgers in England.     

Helminth parasites of the Eurasian badger (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Meles meles</Emphasis> L.) in the Basque Country (Spain)

The helminthological study of 26 Eurasian badgers (Meles meles L.) in the Basque Country (northern Spain) revealed the presence of two trematode (Euryhelmis squamula and Brachylaima sp.), three cestode (Atriotaenia incisa, Mesocestoides sp. and Taenia sp.) and five nematode (Aonchotheca putorii, Physaloptera sp., Molineus patens, Uncinaria criniformis and Strongyloides sp.) species. All 15 individuals analysed for Trichinella sp. were negative. The coprological analysis (flotation and migration) revealed the excretion of strongylid, capillariid and trematode eggs, and Crenosoma sp. and Angiostrongylus sp. larvae. No sex- or age-related differences were found in the parasite burden or egg and larvae excretion. A. incisa and M. patens abundances were positively correlated, both species being negatively correlated with badger weight. The presence of adults of U. criniformis and strongylid eggs in faeces was not independent. Badgers excreting Angiostrongylus larvae were in poorer condition than those not excreting.     

The helminth parasites of the badger (Meles meles) in Cornwall

The helminth parasites of 118 badgers from Cornwall are recorded. Nematode infestations are common. The five species found are Capillaria? erinacei, Molineus patens, Uncinaria stenocephala, Aelurostrongylus falciformis and Strongyloides sp. Cestode infestations appear to be rare, the species recorded being Mesocestoides lineatus and Dilepis undula. Similarly only a single trematode, Ityogonimus lorum, is recorded.     

Resource dispersion and badger population density in Mediterranean woodlands: is food,water or geology the limiting factor?

Eurasian badgers, Meles meles, in Mediterranean cork‐oak woodlands live in small groups within territories that embrace a mosaic of habitats where several setts (dens) are scattered. Assuming that their population density was related to home range sizes and that this in turn was influenced by food and water availability and the existence of substrate suitable for sett construction, we explored the relationship between these parameters. Two biotopes were predominantly important in providing food security to badgers in the ‘Grândola’ mountain study area: olive groves and orchards or vegetable gardens. Analysis of the mean total area of these two habitats in the ranges of radio‐tracked badgers permitted us to extrapolate to an estimate that the 66 km² encompassed eleven areas with the capacity to support badger groups each composed by 6–8 individuals. Since only three groups populated the area we concluded that food availability was not limiting badger density. Sites with surface water in summer (the dry season) seem sufficient to support more badger groups than existed, leading us to believe that this factor was also not limiting badger density. Simultaneously, using a logistic regression model and the biophysical characteristics of sett sites as explanatory variables, four predictor variables determined sett location: the existence of a geological fault/discontinuity, ridges, valleys and the distance to abandoned farm houses, of which the former had the higher odds ratio, being thus the best sett location predictor. Indeed, 56% of the areas predicted with >80% confidence to contain a badger sett were encompassed within a known home range. Therefore, our results suggest that, in Mediterranean cork oak woodlands in SW Portugal, the main factor limiting badger's density is the availability of suitable sites for setts. However, in areas where suitable sites for burrows existed, but food patches were absent, badgers were not found. This could indicate that the presence of both factors was necessary for badgers, although in this area sites suitable for digging setts appeared to be the primary limiting factor.     

Phylogenetic relationships and genetic diversity of badgers from the Korean Peninsula: Implications for the taxonomic status of the Korean badger

Accurate taxonomic classification of wildlife species is crucial for guiding biological research and for developing effective management and conservation programs. The taxonomic status of Eurasian badgers from South Korea remains poorly resolved. Here we assessed the phylogenetic relationships and genetic variation of Eurasia badgers using partial mitochondrial fragments to elucidate the evolutionary history and taxonomic status of badgers from the Korean Peninsula. Forty-eight unique haplotypes from 125 individuals were observed. Phylogenetic reconstructions and reduced median networks indicate that Eurasian badgers consisted of four geographic clades (Japan, Eastern Eurasia, Western Eurasia, and Caucasus) with a relatively weak split observed within Eastern Eurasia. Estimated divergence time between the Japanese and Eastern Eurasian clades, including the Korean population, was 467,100 years (69,200–1,085,500 years). The results of this study support the hypothesis that the Japanese badger migrated from the Eurasian continent over the Korea-Japan land bridge and that the Korean Peninsula was an important refugia during the Pleistocene. Our study confirmed that the South Korean badger, Meles meles, belongs to the Eastern Eurasian clade. Based on these results and those of previous studies, we recommend that the scientific name of the Korean badger be changed from M. meles to Meles leucurus (Asian badger).     

Local feeding specialization by badgers (Meles meles) in a mediterranean environment

A case of local feeding specialization in the European badger (Meles meles), a carnivore species with morphological, physiological and behavioural traits proper to a trophic generalist, is described. For the first time, we report a mammalian species, the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), as the preferred prey of badgers. Secondary prey are consumed according to their availability, compensating for temporal fluctuations in the abundance of rabbit kittens. We discuss how both predator (little ability to hunt) and prey (profitability and predictability) features, may favour the observed specialization, as predicted by foraging theory. Badgers show a trend to specialize on different prey in different areas throughout the species range. It is suggested that changes in prey features can reverse the badger feeding strategy at the population level. Such dynamic behavioural responses make difficult to label badgers as generalists or specialists at the species level.     

Distribution and population density of badgers Meles meles in Luxembourg

1. The distribution and density of Eurasian badgers Meles meles in Luxembourg was estimated by gathering information about the location of badger setts with a questionnaire survey, by visiting 708 setts in order to classify them as ‘main setts’ or ‘outliers’, and by estimating social group size by directly counting emerging badgers. 2. Badgers were found to be widely distributed in Luxembourg, with a minimum main sett density of 0.17 setts/km². Setts were sited preferentially in forest habitat. The mean minimum group size was 4.6 badgers. 3. The Luxembourg badger population was conservatively estimated to contain at least 2010 adult and young badgers (95% CI 1674–2347) in spring 2002, equivalent to a density of 0.78 adult and young badgers/km² (95% CI 0.65–0.91). This is moderate compared to most of continental Europe.     

Nuclear and mitochondrial phylogenies provide evidence for four species of Eurasian badgers (Carnivora)

Del Cerro, I., Marmi, J., Ferrando, A., Chashchin, P., Taberlet, P. & Bosch, M. (2010). Nuclear and mitochondrial phylogenies provide evidence for four species of Eurasian badgers (Carnivora). —Zoologica Scripta, 39, 415–425. The Eurasian badgers (Meles spp.) have a fairly widespread distribution in the Palearctic region and their great morphological variability throughout the vast geographic area has nourished an intense debate about the classification of this taxon. Therefore, the aim of this study was to clarify controversies in Eurasian badger taxonomy by means of a new molecular phylogeny. One‐hundred and seventeen individuals of Eurasian badgers from 18 countries throughout Eurasia were sequenced for up to 3257 bp of nuclear DNA over six loci (ACTC, BGN, CFTR, CHRNA1, TS and TTR) and 512 bp of the mitochondrial DNA control region. Statistical and phylogenetic analyses for combined nDNA, mtDNA and the total‐evidence data clearly showed a strong genetic differentiation in four well‐supported clades, three of which corresponded to allopatric badger species previously defined according to morphological data: Meles meles Linnaeus, 1758 in Europe; Meles leucurus Hodgson, 1847 in the continental part of Asia, except the south‐west part; and M. anakuma Temminck, 1844 in Japan. Up to now, the fourth clade, made up of individuals from south‐west Asia, had been considered as a subspecies. Supported by several pieces of morphological evidence, the new phylogeny revealed that it is necessary to revise the current taxonomic classification of Meles spp. and suggested that the badgers from south‐west Asia should be recognised as a separate species, being renamed M. canescens Blanford, 1875.     

Food habits of three carnivore species (Viverricula indica, Herpestes urva, and Melogale moschata) in Fushan Forest, northern Taiwan

The food habits and degrees of dietary overlap of lesser oriental civet ( Viverricula indica ), crab-eating mongoose ( Herpestes urva ), and ferret badger ( Melogale moschata ) inhabiting the Fushan Forest, northern Taiwan, were studied using faecal analysis between February 1993 and June 1994. Laboratory analysis of 154 civet faeces, and 174 mongoose faeces showed that both species fed on a wide variety of food items, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, crustaceans, insects, oligochaetes, gastropods, chilopods, arachnids, and plants. Insects, oligochaetes, plants, and mammals were the four most important food items in the civets' diet, whereas crustaceans, insects, amphibians, and reptiles were the four most important food items consumed by mongooses. Amphibians were the only vertebrates, together with invertebrates and plants, found in the 64 ferret badger faeces we analysed, and oligochaetes, insects, and amphibians were the most important food items consumed by ferret badgers. The diversity of diet was highest in the mongoose, followed by the civet, and was lowest in the ferret badger.
The degree of dietary overlap was greatest between the civet and the ferret badger, followed by that of the civet and mongoose. The mongoose and ferret badger had the lowest degree of dietary overlap. However, the degree of dietary overlap varied in different seasons. Invertebrates were the most important food source for the carnivores in Fushan Forest.     

The ‘omnivorous badger dilemma’: towards an integration of nutrition with the dietary niche in wild mammals

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Temporal and geographical variation in skull size of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and the Eurasian badger (Meles meles) in Austria

Using museum material, we studied temporal changes in skull size of 185 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes Linnaeus, 1758) and 71 Eurasian badgers (Meles meles Linnaeus, 1758) collected in Austria between 1866 and 2007. Four measurements were taken and combined into principal components by means of a principal components analysis. Akaike's information criterion models indicated that skull size of the red fox and the Eurasian badger is positively related to the year of collection and negatively to altitude but not to latitude or longitude. However, for the Eurasian badger, the relationship between skull size and year is only on the verge of significance. We suggest that the increase in skull size with year is a result of improved food availability during the 20th Century from man‐made resources such as agricultural produce and garbage, and the decrease in skull size with altitude is possibly the result of a parallel decrease in primary productivity. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, ●● , ●●–●●.     

Reports on badgers Meles meles in Dutch newspapers 1900–2013: same animals,different framings?

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Birds in the diet of the Eurasian badger Meles meles: a review and meta-analysis

1. We reviewed 110 published studies of badger diet or badger predation of birds. The studies covered most of the Eurasian badger's range, from Ireland east to Japan and from Sweden south to southern Spain. 2. Bird remains were recorded in 2038 cases out of a total 36699 samples of badger faeces and stomachs. The overall percentage frequency of occurrence of bird remains in badger faeces and stomachs was 5.55% for all studies combined, and 7.97% for UK studies. The remains of 45 bird species from 11 orders were recorded. 3. The percentage frequency of occurrence of birds in badger diet increased significantly with latitude. There was no significant relationship between the occurrence of birds in badger diet and season. 4. While the prevalence of birds in the diet of badgers is generally low, the studies reviewed here provide insufficient evidence to assess whether badger predation has an impact on bird populations at a national scale, and experimental approaches to this problem are required.     

Lunar-related reproductive behaviour in the badger (Meles meles)

Cyclicity in behaviours, including reproduction, in relation to the lunar cycle is widely documented in some phyla, but weak or unknown in Class Mammalia. In this paper we present long-term video surveillance data of wild Eurasian badgers Meles meles, which reveal a strong correlation between reproductive behaviour and the lunar cycle. Squat marking and raised-leg urination, which increase in frequency at times of reproductive activity, showed maxima around day 22 of the lunar cycle (i.e. new moon). These findings were supported by observations of matings, together with published records, which showed significantly higher occurrence in the lunar dark phase (last quarter to first quarter). We propose that the lunar cycle has the potential to act as a regulator of the reproductive cycle in the badger.     

Population ecology and prevalence of tuberculosis in Badgers in an area of Staffordshire

Forty-five badgers representing five social groups were removed from an area in Staffordshire where tuberculosis had occurred in cattle. Prior to removal, the tuberculosis status of the badger population was investigated by screening faeces samples, collected at fortnightly intervals, and badger social-group territories were determined by bait-marking. Samples for cultural and biological examination were taken from the live badgers before euthanasia and detailed post-mortem examination. The adult badger population density was 6-2/km2 and Mycobacterium bovis was isolated from samples taken post mortem from eight (17-8%) badgers. The results are reviewed in relation to previous findings.     

Annual and circadian activity patterns of badgers (Meles meles) in Białowieża Primeval Forest (eastern Poland) compared with other Palaearctic populations

Aim The annual and circadian rhythms and duration of activity of Eurasian badger Meles meles (Linnaeus 1758) were studied in a low‐density population inhabiting the primeval woodland in the European temperate zone. Results were compared with available data from the literature on seasonal changes in body mass and winter inactivity of badgers from across the Palaearctic region. Location Field work was carried out in Bia?owie?a Primeval Forest, eastern Poland. Biogeographical variation was reviewed based on twenty‐three localities in the Palaearctic region (from Western Europe to Central Siberia). Methods Thirteen badgers were radio‐collared in 1997–2001. Their circadian activity was sampled by 24‐h sessions of continuous radio‐tracking with location taken at 15‐min intervals. Annual activity was studied by radio‐tracking and inspections of setts. Earthworm (badgers’ main food) biomass was estimated in four types of habitats throughout the year. Results Badgers were nocturnal with one long bout of activity. Their rhythms of diel activity differed between spring and autumn, and between adult and subadult individuals. On average, badgers emerged from setts at 19:00 hours and returned to them at 03:42 hours. The highest level of activity was recorded between 20:00 and 03:00 hours. Duration of daily activity was, on average, 8.2 h day^?1, but varied significantly between seasons. The seasonal changes were inversely related to the abundance of earthworms. Duration of activity also depended on daily temperature, especially in the cold season. In winter, badgers stayed inactive for an average of 96 days per year. In autumn, they built fat reserves and their body mass nearly doubled compared with the spring values. The literature review on annual cycle of activity and body mass changes in Eurasian badgers showed that fat storage and duration of winter sleep strongly depended on climate (best approximated by January mean temperature). In regions with warm climates, badgers were active year round and their body mass changed only slightly, while in regions with severe winters badgers increased their body mass twofold from spring to autumn, and stayed inactive for as long as 6 months per year. Main conclusion We propose that, in the temperate and boreal zones of the Palaearctic region, the ultimate determinant of biogeographical variation in badgers’ annual activity is the winter shortage of earthworms, which are the main component of badger diet.     

The behavioural responses of badgers (Meles meles) to exclusion from farm buildings using an electric fence

Behavioural investigations into the transmission of bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis) between badgers and cattle suggest that badger activity in farm buildings may incur a significant risk of cross-infection. However, measures to exclude badgers from buildings have not been systematically field-tested. In the present study, remote surveillance and radio-tracking were used to monitor the effect of electric fencing manipulations on the frequency of badger incursions into feed stores and cattle housing, and on badger ranging behaviour. Electric fencing was effective in preventing access to the farm buildings where it was installed and also significantly reduced incursions into unfenced buildings. Badger home range and core activity areas tended to increase in size when the fencing was installed, although they did not extend beyond the boundaries of the relevant social group territories. We discuss the logistical constraints of using electric fencing in this context and conclude that it is a potentially useful method of reducing contact between badgers and cattle, within farm buildings and yards.     

The distribution of Eurasian badger, Meles meles, setts in a high-density area: field observations contradict the sett dispersion hypothesis

Are setts significant determinants of badger socio‐spatial organisation, and do suitable sett sites represent a limited resource, potentially affecting badger distributions? The factors determining diurnal resting den, or sett, location and selection by Eurasian badgers Meles meles L. were investigated in Wytham Woods, Oxfordshire. 279 sett sites were located. The habitat parameters that were associated with the siting of these setts were analysed and associations were sought between sett location and character and the body condition and body weight of resident badgers Habitat characteristics in the vicinity of setts were significantly different from randomly selected points. Badgers preferentially selected sites with sandy, well‐drained soils, situated on NW‐facing, convex and moderately inclined slopes at moderate altitude. There was no evidence that sett morphology (number of entrances, sett area, number of hinterland latrines) was affected by the surrounding sett site habitat characteristics. Mean body weight was significantly higher for badgers occupying territories with setts in sandy soils, situated on NW‐facing slopes, than in territories with less optimal sett characteristics. Contrary to the hypothesis that the availability of sett sites was limiting, and therefore that sett dispersion dictates the spatial and social organisation of their populations, the badgers were clearly able to excavate new setts. On our measures, these new setts were not inferior to old established ones, despite occupying subsequently exploited sites; the badgers utilising these new setts had neither lighter body weights nor poorer body condition scores. During the period of our study badgers have manifestly been able to dig numerous new setts; as satisfactory sites still remain available, this indicates that suitable sett sites have not yet become a limiting resource. There was no relationship between sett age and the characteristics of the site in which it was dug, as suitable sites were not limiting. Significantly, population expansion during the decade 1987–1997 was not constrained by lack of setts, rather the main proliferation in setts occurred after the population size had peaked in 1996. Some implications for the management and conservation of the Eurasian badger are considered.     

京杭运河堤坝区域狗獾的栖息地特征

2006年10-11月和2007年10-11月,在京杭运河邵伯-高邮段的西侧堤坝上,采用样方法测定了狗獾3个不同类型栖息地的特征变量和利用强度,结果表明:狗獾主要生活在郁闭度较高的森林中,对泡桐、泡桐-杨树次生林的利用强度显著的高于杨树人工林(P<0.05);多元线性逐步回归分析表明:洞口数主要受灌木密度、大树密度、草本植物盖度、土壤含水率和人为干扰强度的影响(P=0.002),而粪堆数主要受灌木密度、大树密度和人为干扰强度的影响(P=0.012)。整体来看,影响狗獾栖息地选择的因素主要是郁闭度、人为干扰水平有关的因子。     

Defecation and urination patterns of badgersMeles meles at low density in south west England

The spatial distribution of urine and faecal scent marks of badgersMeles meles (Linnaeus, 1758) at low population density (mean±SE across 4 social groups was 5.73±0.735 badgers/km2) in south-western England were quantified. Eighteen badger latrines (greater than one dung pit containing faeces), 74 single defecations not in pits and 21 faeces in single pits were located in spring when badgers were defending well-defined territories. Woodland was selected, and arable land avoided, for latrine sites. Pasture and built-up land was selected for single defecations not in pits whereas faeces in single pits were distributed randomly across habitat types. Faecal scent marks were strongly associated with the edge of pastoral fields rather than the middle. Forty-six and 51 urinations were located in spring and summer, respectively. Urine was deposited randomly across habitat types but was concentrated at the linear features surrounding the main setts. This is the first reported use of high levels of single defecations and urinations in badger scent marking strategies in the UK. These results are discussed in relation to the potential for transmission of bovine tuberculosisMycobacterium bovis from badger excreta to cattle.