BADGERS
Mammal - Vertebrate - Carnivore
Mammal - Vertebrate - Carnivore
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Male: Boar
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Female: Sow
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Young: Cub, Kit
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BADGERS
There are 11 species of Badger.
There are 11 species of Badger.
- Live in burrows - known as setts - and have powerful forelegs and long claws with which to do their digging.
- Baby badgers don't open their eyes for the first six weeks of their lives.
- Are nocturnal mammals.
- Can run up to 19 miles per hour for short periods of time.
- Usually dig for their food and they like to eat earthworms, grubs and insects, cereals, fruit and roots.
- Also eat amphibians - frogs - small mammals and ground nesting birds.
- Are named for the contrasting stripe of fur - the 'badge' - on the forehead.
- Have glands near their rump that produces a strong smelling liquid called musk.
- Use the musk to mark their territory, to mark a scent trail to food and to drive away attackers by squirting the musk at them.
- The French for Badger is 'blaireau' which also means 'shaving brush'.
- A group of Badgers is called a cete - and there are usually 2 - 15 badgers in the cete.
- The Honey Badger is carnivorous and has a reputation of being the most fearless and vicious of all mammals.