Mammals · Carnivora · Mustelidae

Japanese Badger

Meles anakuma

Least Concern

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

The Japanese badger is a mustelid endemic to the main islands of Japan, smaller than the European badger and with facial bands that are more diffuse and brown rather than black. It is markedly less social: adults usually live alone or in loose pairs, not in clans. It is omnivorous with a liking for earthworms and beetles, and digs setts on wooded slopes. In winter it enters a light torpor. Road deaths and the abandonment of traditional farmland mosaics are affecting it.

Weight

4 kg – 12 kg

Size

50 cm – 80 cm

Lifespan

13 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Temperate forestGrasslandCarnivore Omnivore Nocturnal Solitary Temperate forest Grassland Mammal

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Fun facts

In Japanese folklore it is constantly confused with the tanuki: many stories about the shape-shifting raccoon dog actually refer to this badger, and the popular name anaguma is used for both in different regions.
It is far less social than its European relative: while the European badger lives in clans of up to a dozen animals sharing a sett, this one usually lives alone or in a pair.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Temperate forest, farmland-and-woodland mosaics and urban fringes of Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu
Sexual maturity: 2 years
Gestation / incubation: 10 months (with delayed implantation)
Litter / clutch size: 2

Sources consulted: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_badger