Stocky, short-legged omnivores of the weasel and skunk families. The familiar European badger is nocturnal and social, living in family groups in large underground burrows called setts.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?Omnivore
Dangerous?Can be
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Night
It sleeps in its sett by day and is busiest around dusk and dawn.
Hibernates?No
European badgers don’t truly hibernate, but they fatten up in autumn and sleep through much of the winter.
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inEurope, Asia, North America
HabitatForest, Farmland, Grassland
ColoursBlack, White, Grey
SizeMedium
Length56–90 cm (European badger)
Weight7–13 kg in spring, 15–17 kg in autumn (European badger)
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives ingroups
Lives for8–14 years
Can swim
In the wild
- What it eats
- An omnivore: earthworms, large insects, small mammals, carrion, cereals and tubers.
Did you know
Badger families use the same sett for decades.
A sett’s tunnels can run 35–81 m, and several badger families may use one for decades.
Often confused with
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A photo, a few hints, one guess. Same 438 animals.
