[Animals] The Badger

[G R 4 V E N ⵣ]

badger, common name for any of several stout carnivores, most of them members of the weasel family (Mustelidae), that are found in various parts of the world and are known for their burrowing ability.
 The species differ in size, habitat, and coloration, but all are nocturnal and possess anal scent glands, powerful jaws, and large, heavy claws on their forefeet, which are used to dig for food and construct underground dens.
 The American badger (Taxidea taxus) feeds mostly on rodents, but Old World species are omnivorous. Badgers are classified into six genera. Some, especially the American badger, are hunted for their pelts.

 

 

The American badger, the only New World species, is usually found in open, dry country of western North America.
 Muscular, short-necked, and flat-bodied, it has a broad, flattened head and short legs and tail.
 The colour of the coat is grayish and grizzled, dark at the face and feet with a white stripe extending from the nose to the back.
 It is 23 cm (9 inches) tall and 42–76 cm long, excluding the 10–16-cm tail, and it weighs 4–12 kg (9–26 pounds).
 The American badger is a powerful animal that captures most of its prey by rapid digging. Generally solitary, it feeds mainly on rodents, particularly ground squirrels, pocket gophers, mice, and voles.
 Other prey include insects, reptiles, and eggs of ground-nesting birds. Mostly nocturnal, American badgers spend the day inside a burrow often dug the night before. 
Home ranges are from 1 to 10 square km (0.4 to 4 square miles), depending on habitat and food resources. 
During the winter they sleep underground for long periods. 
To survive this period of fasting, they accumulate large amounts of body fat during late summer and autumn.
 Mating occurs during this time, but implantation of the zygote is delayed. Thus, although the young (usually two or three) are born the following spring, true gestation is only six weeks.

 

 

 

The European badger (Meles meles) is omnivorous, consuming earthworms, insects, small mammals, birds and their eggs, and also fruits and nuts. 
It is grayish, with large black-and-white facial stripes. It is 30 cm tall and 56–81 cm long, excluding the 12–20-cm tail, and weighs 8–10 kg or more.
 This social species lives in groups within an extensive network of burrows called sets. 
Adult European badgers have few natural predators. In Europe tuberculosis and starvation are the most important causes of natural mortality, but thousands are killed annually by vehicles. 
There are two other species in the genus Meles: the Asian badger (Meles leucurus) and the Japanese badger (Meles anakuma).

 

 

Ferret badgers (genus Melogale), also called tree badgers or pahmi, consist of four species: Chinese (M. moschata), Burmese (M. personata), Everett’s (M. everetti), and Javan (M. orientalis).
 They live in grasslands and forests from northeast India to central China and Southeast Asia where they consume mostly insects, worms, small birds, rodents, and wild fruits.
 They are brownish to blackish gray, with white markings on the face, throat, and sometimes the back. Smaller than American and European badgers, they average 33–43 cm long, excluding the 12–23-cm tail.

 

 

 

The hog badger (Arctonyx collaris), also called the hog-nosed, or sand, badger, is a pale-clawed species of both lowland and mountainous regions in a range similar to that of ferret badgers. 
It is gray to black, with a black-and-white-striped head pattern and white throat, ears, and tail. It is 55–70 cm long, excluding the 12–20-cm tail, and weighs 7–14 kg. Hog badgers are nocturnal and find food by rooting. 
Their diet consists mostly of earthworms and other invertebrates, but they also consume fruits and small mammals.

 

 

Nearly all species of otters face increasing threats as urbanization and logging continue. North American river otters (L. canadensis) are still taken as part of the commercial fur trade, but the primary threats to others are the destruction of wetland habitats and pollution.
 Heavy metals and contaminants such as mercury and PCBs accumulate in otter tissues and in time impair both reproduction and survival.
 Pollution also affects fish po[CENSORED]tions on which otters often depend.
 Conservation of remaining wetlands and restoration of water quality are currently the most important steps toward ensuring the future of otters.

 

 

 

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), about half of all otter species are threatened. The IUCN lists five species—the giant otter, marine otter, and southern river otter (Lontra provocax) of South America, the sea otter of North America, and the hairy-nosed otter (Lutra sumatrana) of Asia—as endangered and two—the short-clawed otter (Aonyx cinereus) and smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata)—as vulnerable.

 

 

 

Most authorities maintain that 13 species of otters make up the subfamily Lutrinae.
 The status of the Congo clawless otter (Aonyx congicus) remains a subject of debate. 
Some researchers consider the animal to be a subspecies of the African small-clawed otter (A. capensis) and hence give it the taxonomic name A. capensis congicus. Most authorities claim, however, that the Congo clawless otter is a valid species and have given it the taxonomic name A. congicus. The classification below assumes that Lutrinae is made up of 13 species.