BADGER
			Phylum: Class: Order: Family: Species: Chordata Mammalia Carnivora Mustelidae Meles meles Taxidea taxus

The badger belongs to the stoat and weasel family. Bear-like in nature, they have stocky bodies that measure to about 1 yard in length (1 m), with short tails, short but strong legs, and very strong claws on the front feet. They too have tail-based mu sk glands like their other family members, and have five toes.

Badgers live in holes or excavations in the ground and use vegetation and bracken for bedding. They emerge at night to feed mainly on earthworms, but also on small rodents, insects, snails, grass, nuts, and berries.

It is said that badgers pair with a mate for life. Breeding begins in July to August, and cubs are born the following February to March. After 6 to 8 weeks they emerge from the set, but remain with their parents for about another six months.

The European badger is found all over Europe and Asia. They are nocturnal creatures, are rarely visible, and are very wary by nature. Noted by their striking markings, the European badger has a white face with two semetrically placed black stripes whi ch run from behind the ears to the tip of the nose (muzzle). At a distance, this badger looks gray in color but the individual hairs are actually black and white. The underside and the legs are black.

The badger's only serious enemy is the human being, and their markings are assumed to assist them in identification amongst other badgers, especially in the dark.

The hog badger is found in China and neighboring parts of Southeast Asia. They can be distinguished from the European badger by its naked, pig-like snout.

The American badger (Taxidea taxus) is smaller than the European badger (Meles meles) and is widespread in North America.