The Common badger

Meles meles (Linnaeus, 1758)

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Hi, I’m the badger!

I belong to the Mustelidae family, like the Skunk, Otter and Stone Marten. As you can see, I have an elongated muzzle from which a long white stripe starts. I have five fingers with long claws – perfect for digging deep burrows in which I shelter during the day. I move around at dusk in search of food including snails, lizards, mice, insects, acorns and fruit of the forest, and I make funny noises which sound like muttering, hissing and barking.

Curiosity: My den, which is called a sett, has several chambers: a storeroom where I keep spare food, a sleeping chamber, corridors which connect the various rooms, and a latrine which is strictly outside. Each sett is handed down from generation to generation, even for centuries! Why not follow the woodland path and see some setts? I could even be inside one of them resting. Please be quiet so you don’t wake me up!