BADGER

any of several stout-bodied carnivores of the family Mustelidae. The eight species (in six genera) differ in size, habitat, and coloration; but all possess anal scent glands, powerful jaws, and large, heavy claws on their forefeet. They have been hunted for their pelts. Known for their burrowing ability, badgers dig for food and construct underground homes and escape routes. They are nocturnal and feed on small animals (especially rodents) and, in some species, on plant material. Because of delayed implantation of the fertilized egg in the wall of the uterus, the gestation period lasts about 183240 days. Litters consist of one to seven young. For the honey badger (Mellivora capensis), a related animal, see ratel. American badger (Taxidea taxus). The American badger (Taxidea taxus; see photograph), the only New World species, is usually found in open, dry country of western North America. It is muscular, short-necked, and flat-bodied and has a broad, flattened head and short legs and tail. It is generally solitary and feeds mainly on rodents. The American badger is a powerful animal that digs rapidly, easily outdistancing a man with a shovel, and it can be a savage fighter when cornered. It sleeps underground for long periods during the winter. Its coat is grayish, with blackish face and feet and white middorsal stripe extending from nose to back. It is 23 cm (9 inches) high and 4276 cm long, excluding the 1016-centimetre tail, and weighs 3.511.5 kg (825 pounds). The Eurasian badger (Meles meles), also called true, or typical, badger, is gregarious, omnivorous, and a tenacious fighter. This species lives in groups in an extensive network of burrows (sets). It is grayish, with large black-and-white facial stripes. It is 30 cm high and 5681 cm long, excluding the 1220-centimetre tail, and weighs 1022 kg. Ferret badgers (genus Melogale, including Helictis), also called tree badgers, or pahmi, consist of three species: Chinese (or common), Burmese (or large-toothed), and Javan. They are confined to grasslands and forests in Southeast Asia. They are brownish to blackish gray, with white markings on the face, throat, and sometimes the back. They average 3343 cm long, excluding the 1223-centimetre tail. The hog badger (Arctonyx collaris), also called hog-nosed, or sand, badger, is a pale-clawed species of both low and mountainous regions in Southeast Asia. It is gray to black with a black-and-whitestriped head pattern and white throat, ears, and tail. It is 5570 cm long, excluding the 1220-centimetre tail, and weighs 714 kg. The Malayan stink badger (Mydaus javanensis), also called skunk badger, or teledu, is an island-dwelling form found in Southeast Asia, usually living in mountainous areas. It is brown to black with white on the head and sometimes with a dorsal stripe. It is 3851 cm long, excluding the 58-centimetre tail, and weighs 14 kg. The Palawan, or Calamanian, stink badger (Suillotaxus marchei), is a little-known badger from Palawan, in the Philippines, and neighbouring islands. Its scent is very strong and offensive.