Mammals · Carnivora · Mustelidae

Eurasian Badger

Meles meles

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

It lives in underground tunnel systems called setts, which successive generations may use and extend for decades or even centuries.

Weight

8 kg – 14 kg

Size

75 cm – 1 m

Lifespan

7 years

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Family group

Lives in small family groups with close bonds.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Temperate forestOmnivore Nocturnal Family group Temperate forest Mammal

45countries 21parks28same family

Fun facts

Its setts can be used by successive generations for centuries.
Its weight varies markedly with the seasons: heavier in autumn than in spring.
It feeds mainly on earthworms.
comportamientoIt lives in complex underground networks called setts, which successive generations may use and extend for decades.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: A mixture of woodland and open country, and urban areas too, across almost all of Europe
Birth weight: 70-132 g at birth, blind with its eyelids still fused
Size at birth: ~12 cm long at birth
Sexual maturity: ~1 year (though females usually have their first litter at 2-3)
Gestation / incubation: 7-12 months (including up to 10 months of delayed implantation; 7 weeks of development after implantation)
Litter / clutch size: 1 to 6 young per litter (average 2-3)
Lifespan in captivity: Documented record of up to 18.6-19.5 years

Sources consulted: Mammal Society; AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); iNaturalist; Animal Diversity Web; Animalia.bio; Trees for Life; Monaco Nature Encyclopedia; PMC (heterochrony puberty study)