European badger

Meles meles Today, 3 October
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
now going about the year 104 days
going about the year Mammal here all year

The whole year

2 August – 15 January

the coastal calendar, shifted 32 days later for this region

Sitting the year outGetting readyYoung aboutYoung leaving

Where to look

Old setts on wooded slopes, with worn paths and heaped spoil outside the entrances.

Worth knowing

Badgers can mate almost year-round but implantation waits for December, so cubs always arrive in February whatever month the mating happened. They do not truly hibernate here: winter is quiet, not absent.

Look it up

photos, sightings and recordings, off this site

Regions

where this species is on the list

Phase by phase

dates as they fall in the region chosen above
PhaseWhen LengthWhat it means
raising young 5 March – 16 May 73 days Dependent young in the nest, den or burrow, being fed.
young out of the den 17 May – 1 June 16 days Young out of the nest or den, but still fed and followed by the adults.
courting 2 June – 1 August 61 days Song, display, fighting, scent-marking β€” pairs forming or reaffirming.
going about the year 2 August – 15 January 167 days Feeding, holding territory, doing nothing the calendar singles out.
pregnant 16 January – 4 March 48 days Pregnant. Nothing to see from outside, which is why the dates matter.

Other mammals in this region

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