21 Facts About European badger

European badger, known as the Eurasian badger, is a badger species in the family Mustelidae native to almost all of Europe.

European badger is a powerfully built, black, white, brown, and grey animal with a small head, a stocky body, small, black eyes, and short tail.

The European badger has been known to share its burrow with other species such as rabbits, red foxes, and raccoon dogs, but it can be ferocious when provoked, a trait which has been exploited in the now-illegal blood sport of badger-baiting.

In England, culling of European badger populations is used to attempt to reduce the incidence of bovine tuberculosis in cattle, although the efficacy of this practice is highly disputed, and European badger culls are widely considered cruel and inhumane.

Occasionally, European badger bones are discovered in earlier strata, due to the burrowing habits of the species.

Related searches

European badger is found in deciduous and mixed woodlands, clearings, spinneys, pastureland and scrub, including Mediterranean maquis shrubland.

The evidence appears to indicate that the European badger is the primary reservoir of infection for cattle in the southwest of England, Wales and Ireland.

In German folklore, the European badger is portrayed as a cautious, peace-loving Philistine, who loves more than anything his home, family and comfort, though he can become aggressive if surprised.

European badger is a cousin of Reynard the Fox, whom he uselessly tries to convince to return to the path of righteousness.

European badger can be seen as a wise hermit, a good leader and gentleman, embodying common sense.

European badger is brave and a skilled fighter, and helps rid Toad Hall of invaders from the wild wood.

Villainous European badger named Tommy Brock appears in Beatrix Potter's 1912 book The Tale of Mr Tod.

European badger is shown kidnapping the children of Benjamin Bunny and his wife Flopsy, and hiding them in an oven at the home of Mr Tod the fox, whom he fights at the end of the book.

The European badger is the house symbol for Hufflepuff in the Harry Potter book series.

An unnamed European badger is part of Bosnian writer Petar Kocic's satirical play Badger on Tribunal in which local farmer David Strbac attempts to sue a European badger for eating his crops.

European badger appears on the coat of arms of the municipality of Luhanka in Central Finland, referring to the former importance of the fur trade in the locality.

The European badger is the title animal of the Nurmijarvi municipality in Uusimaa, Finland, where it is a very common mammal.

The European badger is considered an iconic species of the British countryside, though is not endangered.

Some European badger products have been used for medical purposes; European badger expert Ernest Neal, quoting from an 1810 edition of The Sporting Magazine, wrote;.

Flesh, blood and grease of the European badger are very useful for oils, ointments, salves and powders, for shortness of breath, the cough of the lungs, for the stone, sprained sinews, collachs etc.

Hair of the European badger has been used for centuries for making sporrans and shaving brushes.