Badgers
The
badger is a handsome wild animal with a distinctive appearance and yet,
because it is a nocturnal animal, very few people have ever seen one.
1.
PHYSICAL FEATURES
Badgers
are easy to identify. They have a greyish body, dark haired legs and
underparts, and a white head with a dark stripe over the eye on both sides.
The average length of an adult badger is 69 - 71 cm, making it one of the
larger wild animals in
Badgers
are powerfully built with short but very strong limbs and sharp clawed feet.
The small head, short neck, long wedge shaped body and very short tail make
badgers excelent diggers,
able to move heavy material in confined spaces. They have poor eyesight as
they are nocturnal and most of their time is spent underground in their
setts, however their poor eyesight is compensated for by their acute hearing
and excellent sense of smell. Badgers are very heavy for their size. Their
weight changes frequently depending on the food available in their area, and
also on the time of year. On average an adult badger will weigh between 6.5
and 13.9 kilograms.
2.
HABITAT
Badgers
are scattered around
canals, railways and roads, Iron Age forts, mines, rubbish dumps, coal tips, in gardens and under major roads and buildings.
The reason for their success is their amazing adaptability to different habitats. Their sets are a system of complex tunnels and chambers often with several entrances. Grass, bracken and leaves are used to line the chambers for bedding.
3.
FOOD
Badgers
are omnivores feeding mainly on earthworms. They also commonly take young
rabbits, mice, rats, voles, moles, hedgehogs, frogs, slugs, and snails.
Occasionally they will take poultry and eggs. The plant food they eat
includes most fruits, acorns, bulbs, oats and wheat.
4.
BREEDING
Badgers
give birth to between 1 and 5 cubs during the January to March period. The
birth usually takes place in the underground chambers; this is where the
cubs will remain until they are about 8 weeks old.
5.
BADGERS AND THE LAW
In
the past badgers were often seen as a pest; the main complaints being that
they would eat poultry, roll in the corn and eat the grain, sometimes kill
lambs, and occasionally eat partridge and pheasant eggs.
Because
of the damage that badgers were thought to be creating, people began to use
different methods to control them.
However
in 1973 a law was introduced with regard to the control of badgers. The
Badgers Act, 1973, amended by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and
replaced again by the Badgers Act 1992 means that badgers and their setts
are fully protected.
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