Appearance.
Its clumsy, massive, baggy body of a badger is sharply different from others, kunihi, found in our region and possessing a thin graceful body. A small head with a narrow and long muzzle looks like a dog, ears and eyes small, tail relatively short and fluffy. Badger, being an omnivorous beast, has the structure of the teeth is more similar to the structure of them omnivorous, but quite different from the fact that we see from most predators: crowns of indigenous teeth, not excluding predatory, he has wide, with stupid tubercles adapted to rubbing vegetation food. However, the fangs are developed strongly. The first prestand tooth in the upper jaw at the badger almost always falls.
Coloring of the back and sides of the body gray with an admixture of black. White's head with two fairly wide black stripes, which begin to ahead of the eye and go through the eyes and ears, expanding and behind the ears gradually moving into the sullen color of the sides of the body. The throat, chest, belly and legs are black, the tail is grayish-white.
Fur Barsuk is quite rough, especially in the summer, when he is less likely winter, has a darker color and almost completely deprived.
The length of the old badger's body without a tail is on average about 80 cm, the tail is about 20 cm. The weight of the old left by the autumn of the burst on average is about 20 kg and, as a rarity, there are badgers weighing over 37 kg.
Distribution and place of habitat
Badger is common throughout Europe (excluding North Scandinavia, Pechora and Don River Pools): in the Crimea, in the Caucasus, in the front, Central and Central Asia, in all southern Siberia.
Havings of the badger in our region are forests, as well as armor and obsendous ravines among the fields. In the forest, the Barsuk chooses dry rehabilic places located near the reservoirs that he needed for a drain. It is quite often a settled in ravines at the forest edge.
Of all the kunih, the badger exhibits the greatest sapper inclinations. In the open areas, he settles on the beams, everywhere preferred ravines and hills with slopes folded from soft soils, as it is easier for him to dig holes.
Barcuck Roet himself. At its length, the holes are quite different, but, as a rule, than the old Nora, it is longer and the greater there is a paragraph, since Badger works all his life to expand its underground housing. There are almost 1-2 to 20 and even more. Among the records there are those who carry a special function. These include narrow, usually running space up and opening on top of the slope or a boogue, ventilation relatives. There are guidelines for the presence of special records serving Barsuka to the restroom, where this very clean animal leaves and burns its excrement. The living chamber is normal is usually quite extensive - up to 1 m in height and up to 1.5 m in the diameter, quite significantly removed from the inlet (often up to 10 m) and lies at a depth of 1 to 5 m from the ground surface. The walls and bottom of the logow are lined with a dry and pure bedding of leaves, moss and herbs. Sometimes several badgers settle nearby, forming a real colony.
In the image of a badger - a night beast. The day he spends in hole and hunting comes out with the onset of twilight, returning only to the morning. During the night, the badger is engaged in producing food and for this purpose bypassing a rather large area, sometimes removing significantly from the hole.
Food
Badger, as stated, omnivorous. Its food is very diverse: he eats earthworms, slugs and snails, different insects and their larvae, very eagerly eating frogs, lizards, thairs and even poisonous snakes (possessing, like a sore, partial immunity to their bite), chicks and eggs of various birds as well as various small mammals. The extermination of miserable rodents, as well as insects, the badger brings a certain benefit.
The vegetable part of the meal of the badger has been studied yet. He eats pretty many edible roots, mushrooms, berries, wild fruits, acorns, nuts, nuts and eat even some cereals. Sometimes badgers settled near human housing acquire habit of carrying poultry.
Reproduction
There are no fully accuracy in full-confidence with full reliability, as well as the term of pregnancy. Installed is only the fact that the flow occurs from April to July. The term of pregnancy is determined by about 340-350 days. It is assumed that the egg in the uterus passes after fertilization step of rest and begins to develop in about the first half of December.
Barschatta Roll in Nore in March - April. The number of young in litter from 2 to 6, most often 4. They will be blind and twisted for about the 30th day of life. From the hole they begin to go out in June. Before the autumn, young holds at the mother, and in the fall diverged and their holes are digging.
Link and hook
A molting at the badger is slow. It begins in the spring and ends completely by the end of September - the beginning of October, when the winter fur reaches almost complete development.
From the end of the summer, Barsuk begins to disday, and he has a fat deposition, which reaches a maximum for the middle of autumn, that is, by the time of location in the hibernation. At this time, this clumsy beast turns straight into a bag with lard. Winter Badger spends in a hibernation. Before you to heal into it, the tidy badger cleans his hole and the old litter in the lair replaces the new one. Before running in a hibernation, he clogs hole holes. Eggs for the winter badger usually does not, and if it does, then very small, which is necessary for him, obviously, only for the first days after the final leaving in Noura, until he fell asleep at all. Space and get out of the hole Barcuk starts sometimes on the warm days of February and early March, but these are short-lived. Finally, the badger wakes up and begins to regularly leave the hole at the end of March - early April.
By its nature, the badger is a rather phlegmatic and peace-loving beast. He peacefully gets around in the close neighborhood with himself like. It does not tolerate only the neighborhood of unclean and strongly smelly, which often expels the badger from his own hole, spreading the caustic smell inherent in her urine.
Being a peace-loving beast, the badger does not differ at all with cowardice. The instinct of self-defense has been developed very much. He with rage defends against the dogs attackers on him, inflicting strong injuries to the claws and teeth, and sometimes even dare to attack his pursuing his man, trying to bite him, for which he, obviously, received his popular name "Yazvik".
The badger is tamed pretty good and, if you begin taking from an early age, even attachment to your owner is showing a burst.
Economic significance
Barcuka for the sake of skins and bass. The skin goes on the release of cheap grades, hair - on the manufacture of brushes. Salo Barsuk is quite highly appreciated - different lubricants are prepared from it, and it is also used in places as a home medical device in the treatment of wounds.
Badger is a widespread mammal of a kind of cunich. There are several subspecies of these animals. The largest is an ordinary or European badger.
Almost all of Europe, with the exception of the coldest territories, as well as the Caucasus, Transcaucasia, Crimea, and the Caucasus, Transcaucasus, Crimea, and part of Asia acts as a habitability of the badger. The beast prefers a forest strip, forest-steppe, mountains. The area is partially intersecting with the territory of the Asian Bumbaction, which leads to their crossings.
Appearance
What does a badger look like? It is difficult to confuse with another beast. The appearance has several features. The body of the European representative of the species reaches 90 cm long and 30 cm in the withers. Females are traditionally slightly smaller Male individuals. Massive torso with short wide resistant paws with long durable claws and a small wedge-shaped head. Weight reaches about 20 kilograms. However, it depends on the time of year. Closer to winter the beast lays fat before hibernation. Its layer can be 4-5 cm in thickness, weight increases 1.5 times. Barcuccia fat due to healing properties often hunt people. The tail in the animal is rather short up to 25 cm, but fluffy. In the photo Animal before wintering.
The first thing that rushes into the photo of the badger, is the color of his head. The muzzle of the European Badger with small round ears has a characteristic coloring with 2 wide black stripes on a light gray background and distinguishes it from other subspecies:
- asian;
- far Eastern;
- american;
- japanese.
The back has a color in grayish-beige colors, often with noble silver bending. The belly is much darker, almost black. The summer outfit of the beast is somewhat different from the winter, he is shorter, it has a beige subtock. Wool is rigid, it protects the beast not only from bad weather and encroachment larger predators, but also from person. Fur Barcuka does not have great value.
The cubs are born blind and do not have such a characteristic firm as adult individuals. From the hole they begin to go out only after 3 months. What the cubs look like you can see in the photo.
Ration
What does the badger eat? The diet of the beast is very extensive and diverse. It includes:
- animals components (rodents, snakes, small birds, snails);
- vegetable components (mushrooms, berries, roots, herbs).
The delicacy are insects, larvae, worms. An animal can swim and uses this skill for fishing and frogs.
The specific menu depends on the habitat and season. Although the badger is considered a predator if the terrain is rich in fruit, the beast may well satisfy appetite only and not to spend the forces on the hunt for more mobile food.
Each badger has its own territory. After sunset It is chosen from the underground hole, slowly bypassing the plot, inspects trees, stumps, grass, picking up everything edible. An animal moves through the forest rather noisy, which is associated with the structure of the paw. The beast comes to the entire foot. By photo of the traces, you can make sure that they resemble the imprint of the paws of the bear.
The benefits of a badger is that it can eat some pests of agriculture. But the crop of farmers the beast is not averse to appeal, especially bean cultures and corn.
Before the hibernate, the animal makes reserves, in order not to stay hungry in the spring after awakening. Even with a shortage of food, the badger is not tricked to fell and the remnants of the meal of other animals.
Nora
Where does the badger live? The house for the beast is an underground nonra. He responsibly comes to choosing a place for its construction. Most often it is a slope of the ravine or beam. It is important to presence near the water and the composition of the soil. An animal takes into account the risk of flooding an underground house, focusing on groundwater. The photo is well noticeable to the leopard Nora.
These animals are real architects. They do not just know how to dig holes using long weakly-blown claws on the front paws, and build whole underground cities for their families with gallery, specialized rooms for sleep, stock storage, separate restrooms, multiple inputs, ventilation system. Over time, new generations make their contribution, add corridors and premises. The dwelling floor is lined with dry grass and regularly update it.
Forest animals - Foxes and racco-shaped dogs - appreciate the underground houses of badgers and not mind there live there.
Features of behavior
How does an animal behave in a natural habitat? Barsuk - a representative of the night fauna, comes out of the dwelling not before the onset of twilight. In this regard, its key sense authorities are smelling and hearing. Vision is somewhat worse. Day Beast spends time under the ground. In the cold season He falls into the hibernation, but in the period of thaws can wake up and go out. In animals from the laundry regions, the hibernation is shorter.
Bumbers are conservative, long live on one territory. They are monoga, create a single pair and often live families consisting of several generations. Mom cares about babies, and up to 3 months feeds them with milk. In nature, there are single, which build a separate Nora, preferring to live away from relatives.
Bumbers are clean, constantly monitoring the order in Nore and about her, care for their firm. They do not like a rush and move rather slowly, lowering their heads. An animal is not aggressive, when meeting with predators and other danger prefers an avoidance strategy. In the critical situation will be able to stand up for itself.
Life expectancy reaches 12 years, and in captivity - up to 16. Meet the badger in a natural environment because of his lifestyle, it is rare, but it is often the inhabitant of zoos.
Badger, or ordinary badger (Lat. Meles Meles) - Predatory animal from the kind of badgers of the Kunih family. Also known as european (Eurasian) badger. With his remarkable black and white striped head badger is one of our most recognizable mammals.
In the classification of the animal world, Barsuk is the only view of the birth of badgers. In the Kunyich family is the largest representative.
Appearance. What does a badger look like?
The appearance of the badger looks like a medium-sized dog, due to the dense and clumsy on the view of the body, has a massive and squat appearance. Male usually more than females. The general shape of the body looks like a cone - in the back of the body of the badger, the body is wider, in the front part gradually narrows and goes into a short neck, and then in an elongated thin face.
Head with a pointed elongated nose and small short ears of rounded shape with white tips. The eyes are small, closely planted, round and shiny. The limbs are short and massive, with long, slightly curved claws, perfectly adapted to the sorcerer. The sole surface of the paws is naked. The tail at the badger is short, quite fluffy.
Badger wool is very tough, consists of coarse bristly axial hair, covering short soft undercoat. On the back the length of the wool reaches 7-8 cm, on the head and paws are much shorter. Because of the thick and long wool, the badger visually looks larger than it really is.
The color of the wool is heterogeneous - the torso is painted in black and gray tones with a silver tint, the color of the sides are slightly lighter, the stomach and chest have a darker color than the back and sides. The limbs are also dark. On a light-colored head there are characteristic black stripes stretching through the eye line from the nose to the ears. Summer color of the barthing fur is darker than winter. Young individuals painted more pale.
The badgers are linked gradually throughout the spring-summer period - in April-May, soft undercoats falls on, in June-July - a hedgehog, in August, the loss of old wool stops, and the growth of the new one begins.
Barcuka size
- Body height 30-60 cm
- Body Length 60-90 cm
- Tail Length 20-24 cm
- Badger weight 10-15 kg (up to 24 before hibernation)
The badger moves slowly, mostly small chambers, sometimes jumps. If necessary, it can quickly run, also swims very well. Badges have a great sense of smell, mediocre rumor, and so weak vision that it distinguishes only moving objects.
The bar of the badger is similar to the trail of a bear. The length of the front paw trail is about 8 cm (2.5 cm of them are on claws), the back of the back of the paw is up to 9 cm. In the width of the bar of 4.5 cm.
Spread. Where does the badger live?
Badger habitat area is incredibly wide. He is undemanded to the habitat and meets everywhere all over the entire area of \u200b\u200bEurope (except Northern Scandinavia), Russia (except the northern regions), the Caucasus.
The main requirement for the place of residence at Badkuka is the ability to equip holes. Therefore, there is a badger in any unexploded terrain, but his favorite environment of its habitat is deciduous and mixed forests, where many grass and shrubs are growing. There is a badger prefers to pull out holes on the slopes of overgrown ravines and beams, forest edges, kosovochi, sandy hills, high banks and lakes.
Badger does not settle in areas with many years of milling, as well as in desert and anhydrous localities. The presence of water bodies within a radius of up to 1 km is a compulsory requirement for habitat for a badger.
The dwelling of a badger is a deep nora with a complex system of moves and branches with a total length of 30-80 meters and a depth of 1 to 5-7 meters. The area occupied by the "Barcuch" settlement can be 1 hectare and more. Nores are provided for ventilation holes, spare outputs, reserves for storing stocks and nesting chambers, which bursts stood with soft leafing from dry grass, leaves, moss.
Nest chambers are often located under a waterproof layer, in order to protect against leakage of rain and groundwater. Periodically, the litter in the socket cameras is replaced with a new one. The toilet is equipped separately from the main hole, not far from it. The space around the exit from the hole is also contained in purity and order, garbage badger refers away from the dwelling.
Single individuals of badgers are content with simple nonoram, with one nesting chamber and one entrance. The settlement of a large family of badgers is a complex multi-tiered underground structure with a plurality of input and ventilation holes and long branched strokes leading to extensive socket cameras.
Such holes are usually inherited from generation to generation, they are constantly expanding and repaired. The dwelling of the badger is so practical, convenient and functionally that it is often loved to borrow foxes and raccoon dogs. Sometimes this happens with the permission of the badger.
Barcukes live families, the number of individuals in one family depends on the presence of sufficient food on the adjacent territory. Where the stern base is small, they will settle down one. Most of the time of the badgers spend in their nonorak. While outside, the badgers are preferably inhabit a radius of 0.5 km from the hole, sometimes removing from it to 1.5 km away.
The borders of the settlement are celebrated by a characteristic musk odor to designate strangers that the place is busy. The smell makes a spacious substance produced by special glands located under the tail of the badger, it is the same for all representatives of one family, and with the help of it the badgers determine the clan affiliation of each other.
Lifestyle
Badger - Animal, which leads a nightlife, almost all the bright time of the day he spends in the hole, but occasionally he violates the "regime", and it can be seen early in the morning or in the evening.
The badger moves slowly and clumsily, when moving creates a lot of noise: it covers, loudly rustles with leaves and picks up in the ground. Barcuke's voice resembles a grunt, grumbling and scattering.
Does badger fall in winter in a hibernation?
Badger is the only representative of the Kunih family, which flows into the winter in a hibernation. But, depending on the habitat, the badger may not fall into the hibernation. So, in the northern regions of the badger in October-November, it lies in a hibernation and sleeps until March-April, and in warm southern areas where the winter is soft and short, it is active throughout the year.
Sleeping a badger
In the hibernation precedes the preparation period - the fall of the badger accumulates the fat reserves, increasing the weight of almost a third, and proceeds to the preparation of the hole - the nesting chambers are warming, changes the litter, harvesting food reserves in the standing cavities, clogs the exits from the ground and dry leaves.
After the onset of cold and snow falling, the badger ceases to appear on the surface and sometimes runs in winter sleep, while its body temperature drops to 34,5'C. In the period of thaws, it can sometimes wake up and go out to warm up in the sun.
Food. How does the badger feed on?
Badger is a truly omnivorous animal, in a meal he is not picky, but his diet is greatly dependent on the place of residence and time of the year. He goes on the hunt at night.
Animal Food Badger is powered by mice-like rodents, frogs, lizards, fish, birds, bird eggs, insects, larvae, molluscs, rainworms.
From vegetable food, it uses grass, roots, juicy branches of trees, grain crops, fruits of plants, fruits, berries, nuts and much more. Also uses mushrooms.
In general, in the conditions of the middle strip of Russia, the badger can eat about 50 different plant species and about as many varieties of animals. The favorite pavements of the badgers are juicy rainworms, slugs, large beetles, so they practically do not need water.
In the consumption of food, the badger is sufficiently moderate - it eats only 0.5 kg of food per day, with the exception of the preparation period for winter hibernation when he feeds fat.
Reproduction and life expectancy
Badgers are monogamous animals. They create a couple for several years, often even for life. The marriage usually passes from late winter to early autumn. After fertilization, pregnancy in the female lasts for a fairly long period of time - from 9 months (with summer mating) up to 12 months (with winter mating). On average, in the litter is born 2-3, a maximum of 6 cubs. Newborn Barschatt weigh 70-80 gr.
Already a few days after the birth of the female is ready for a new pregnancy. Puppies appear on light helpless, blind and deaf, but after a month they appear hearing, their eyes open up for the second month, and three months after birth, they are already gradually moving to independent meals. Up to this point, the female Barsuk feeds them with maternal milk.
For newborns Barschat, the first year of life is the most dangerous and heavy, mortality among them during this period is up to 50%. With the transition to independent meals, the bursucat is quickly gaining weight and after six months in size, they catch up with their parents.
In the fall of the plague families decay. Some of the young badgers leave the family in the fall, create a couple and digish their hole, but most remain and run in a hibernation with their parents. Young females become harsh at the age of 2, males - in 3 years. In the Barcuka population of approximately 73% of adults and 27% of young individuals.
How much does a badger live?
The lifespan of a badger in natural conditions - about 5-6 years (on average) to 10-12 years (maximum), in captivity until 15-16 years old.
Just a third of animals survives in their first 3 years of life. The causes of death can be different. They are killed by conifers in the fights for the territory, they can eat bears, lynxes, wolves, or they become the prey of hunters, die on the roads or from the poisoning of the pesticides, die as a result of infectious diseases, etc.
Natural enemies at badgers are not enough, these are large predators - bears, lynx, wolves. In addition, he conflicts for food with foxes and raccoon dogs. Home and wild dogs are also a threat to him. Their victims are mostly young badgers, adults are very careful and preferred to move and hide in Nore.
But if the badger was caught by surprise, it was not easy to cope with him even large predators - he desperately defends himself, loudly squealed, bites, and can greatly hurt the offender with claws.
The greatest harm to the populations of the Barcuka inflicts the direct persecution of these animals by man and the destruction of underground storage.
Badger and man
What is dangerous badger?
A straight threat to a man badger does not represent. But it can carry a dangerous disease for a person - rabies. For this reason, measures are being held on the direct destruction of badgers and their dwellings.
The badger is not afraid of people and can settle in the immediate vicinity of human housing. This creates some inconvenience for people, because Badger in search of food can also use the fruits of human labor - various crops of agricultural crops, which forces a person to limit his population in certain territories.
What is the badger?
Breaks badger and benefit to man. A significant part of its diet amounted to a large number of pests of agriculture, such as the larvae of the May beetle.
Skura Brancuka because of rough and hard wool does not represent much interest in the fur industry, but Barcuka's hair is used in particular for the manufacture of shaving loss, as well as tassels for drawing.
The hunt for a badger in Russia is mainly carried out with the aim of mining - a popular fund in alternative medicine.
The badger can be caught and maintained in captivity, it easily finds a common language with a person and becomes a pet. But it's easier to buy it.
The meat of a badger is edible, to taste resembles a dried lamb.
Population status
Even taking into account the extermination of these animals as pests or bearing carriers, their population remains large. In the Red Book of the International Union of Nature Protection (IUCN), the badger is listed as a view under the smallest threat of disappearance.
- After a long pairing, the Barsuk climbs into a small reservoir, and, we break, for a long time in it.
- Badger is one of the few species that can kill and eat hero, due to its thick wool and long claws.
- Badger meat is valued and eagerly used in food in China, France, Russia.
- Other animals - foxes, raccons, cunits, ferrets can be hosted in Nora. Badger suffers such a cohabitation while it does not bother him, only it is filled. But if guests behave obscene - he drives them out.
- If the badger is angry, then he hits his nose and bits the enemy, and then immediately runs away.
- Badgers have its own lexicon, which consists of sixteen different sounds.
- Sometimes the badger takes and refubs the holes of Surkov.
Badger or Badger Ordinary is a predatory mammal animal, which is a representative of the kunih family. An animal Barsuk is an amazing creation that combines an unusual appearance, a contrary character and considerable economic benefit. Below you will find a photo and description of the badgers, you can learn a lot of interesting and new things about this forest animal.
What does a badger look like?
Badger looks like animals of medium sizes. An ordinary badger has a body length from 60 to 90 cm and a mass of up to 24 kg, while its tail length is 20-25 cm. Males are somewhat larger than females. Badger looks massively thanks to a peculiar body structure. An animal a badger has an oblong body shape, resembling a wedge forward.
European Badger has a narrow elongated face with round shiny eyes and a very short neck. An animal badger has short strong paws, on the fingers of which there are long claws to dig holes.
Badger looks fluffy due to long wool, which is pretty tough. Under the main fur, European Badger has a warm and tight undercoat. Common badger wool painted in gray or brown, often with a silver tide, and the lower part of the body has almost black color.
Badger looks rather unusual. On his white face there are two wide dark stripes that stretch from the nose to a small ears with white tips. In winter, the badger looks lighter than in the summer when his wool acquires darker shades. In the fall, the badger is gaining 10 kg of fat to its usual weight in front of the winter hibernation. During this period, the badger looks especially large.
Where does the badger live?
Barsuk lives almost throughout Europe, with the exception of only the North of Finland and the Scandinavian Peninsula, since it does not live on frozen soils. Also, the animal Barsuk lives in Malaya and Front Asia, in the Caucasus and Transcaucasia.
Badger lives in mixed and taiga forests. Sometimes badgers live in mountain arrays, are also found in semi-deserts and steppes. The badger lives near the reservoirs and adheres to dry areas, avoiding flooded locality.
The house of Barsuk is his Nora. Bumbers live in deep nora, which digging on the slopes of beams, ravines and hills, high banks or lakes. Badger lives, spending most of the time in Nore. Ordinary badger is a constant and conservative animal, so burdens burned holes are transmitted from generation to generation.
In localities where there is an abundance of food, various branches families can form a whole city of badgers, combining their holes among themselves. Each subsequent generation of badgers is completing the holes, breaking through new moves and expanding the generic estate. So bad holes turn into an underground city with dozens of outputs.
Single badgers live in simple lamps, such a house of a badger has one entrance and a nesting chamber. But the big family of badgers lives in whole towns. The city of Barsukov is a complex and multi-tiered underground structure with a multitude of input and ventilation holes, with long tunnels, various moves and several slot chambers. Nest cameras are usually located at a depth of at least 5 meters, they are spacious and lined with a dry bedding of grass.
Badgers arrange the nesting chambers so that the rain or groundwater can be seaged. Badger ordinary - a practical beast and loves comfort. Therefore, comfortable and dry holes of the badgers often occupy foxes and raccoon dogs. This is not a simple life of the badger.
In addition, the animal a badger is a rare purelty, which regularly holds holes, throwing garbage and periodically replacing the old litter. Even the toilet animal a badger suits outside the hole or takes a special place in it. Also in the hole of the badger there are various premises for the housing needs of the animal.
The life of the badger is peaceful, so the animal badger almost does not have enemies in nature. Threat to it can be wolves and lynx. But the main danger to the European Badger represents a person. In some cases, human economic activity leads to improved conditions for habitat badgers. But on the other hand, the network of constructed roads in natural areas increases the mortality rate of this animal and deprive its natural habitats. Most of all harm populations of Barsuk brings a person who destroys the holes of the badgers. The house of Barsuk is very important for the animal.
Badger is listed in the international red book under the status "under the smallest threat of disappearance." After all, this beast is quite common and has stable populations. But on the badger there is a hunt in order to extract its healing fat, which is widely used in alternative medicine. In Europe, the badger was subjected to global destruction as a carrier of hazardous diseases.
The number of badgers has decreased significantly in areas that are engaged in active economic activities. This led to the loss of habitats of the badger, besides, it is destroyed as a "pest" of crops. However, from an ordinary badger more benefit than harm, because he eats many pests of agriculture.
What feeds the badger and how does he live?
Badger lives, showing activity predominantly at night. But it can be often met in the bright time of the day, early in the morning or closer to the evening. The animal badger is quite noisy, it is loudly covered, makes various sounds and slowly moves. Badgers have weak eyesight. But but the animal a badger has a well-developed sense of smell and good hearing, which helps him orient.
Badger ordinary in nature is not aggressive. When meeting with a predator or man, the animal Barsuk prefers to move away into the shelter. But in anger, the European Badger bites the offender and hits his nose, after which it is spinning. However, the main male in the family of badgers is very jealously guarded the family plot from strangers.
Badger feeds quite diverse and almost omnivorous, but prefers animal food. Badger is powered by various mysterious rodents, lizards, frogs, birds and their eggs. Also, the badger is powered by rainworms, insects and their larvae, molluscs. Badger eats berries, mushrooms, nuts and grass.
On the hunt, the badger bypasses considerable distances, explores the fallen trees to find various insects and rainwaves. For one hunt, the animal a badger produces up to 70 frogs and several hundred insects. But per night, the badger eats only 0.5 kg of food, which is enough for him. Only closer to the fall, the badger begins to feed the fat and eat up to survive the hibernation.
An animal Barsuk is the only representative of the Kunih family, which flows in winter in the hibernation. For example, the ermine does not fall into the hibernation at all. In cold areas, hibernation badgers begins with the middle of autumn and lasts until spring. But in warm areas with mild winters, he does not sleep all year round.
Animal Badger is an active media converter in the animal world. Barcuch holes affect the soil and the organisms that live in it. In addition, the Nora Barcuka often serves other types of animals as housing, where you can withdraw offspring or just escape from bad weather.
The European Badger is a carrier of dangerous diseases for humans and domestic animals. It transfers rabies and tuberculosis of cattle. To control these diseases, most often reduce the number of animals by exterminating and destroying their dwellings. Now in Europe vaccinating animals in vivo, to combat rabies.
Sometimes an animal badger creates storage facilities, gardens or under buildings, which causes a conflict between animals and man. A significant part of the European Barsuk's diet makes up various pests of forest and agriculture. For example, the badger is powered by larvae of the May beetle.
Badger skin has a low value. Since wool is very tough, its hair is used in the manufacture of brushes for drawing. But the fat Barcuch has short healing properties, in connection with which the animal is furiously pursuing hunters.
Bumbers are monogamans and often form a couple for many years or even for life. The marriage season at the European Badger begins at the end of winter and continues until September. Educated pairs from autumn prepare a nesting chamber, in which Barzucat should be born.
Pregnancy in the female has a stretched period and its duration depends on the time in which the mating occurred. Therefore, to enter the young female a female can from 9 to 14 months. Most often on the light appears from 2 to 6 young badger.
In Europe, Barsuchat is born from December to April, and in Russia - in March-April. Badgers are born blind, deaf and helpless. Only aged 1.5 months of the Badger wrinkle and begin to hear. Mother feeds Barscat with milk for almost 3 months.
But very soon the young badger is already reading out of the hole and eat on their own. By age in 6 months, the book is almost reaching the size of adults. In the fall of brood decay. After that, each Barcutonok begins an independent life.
Females become capable of reproduction at the age of two, and males - to three years of life. In nature, Barsuk lives 10-12 years old, and in captivity, the lifespan of a badger reaches 16 years.
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Barsuque ordinary - a predatory animal from the Kunih family, a class of mammals. It is considered one of the easiest recognizable animals in the wild. His appearance a badger resembles a medium-sized dog.
The length of the animal body is 70-90 cm. As a rule, females are slightly less than males.
The mammal is quite a long and fluffy tail. The general shape of the body of an animal cone. The rear widespread part is gradually narrowed by moving into an oblong neck and an elongated face.
On the head of the mammal there are small ears of the rounded shape, with interesting white tassels. Small eyes, resemble brilliant beads.
The limbs are not long, but rather massive. Remarkable feature - claws, thanks to them Barsuk quickly digs the land, building a hole for himself.
Wool animal rigid and short. On the back the length of the wool does not exceed 8 cm, it is still shorter on the paws and head. The coloring of the animal is rather unusual. On the back and sides of the wool has a gray-silver shade, paws and abdomen of black. On the face of the badger there are two black stripes that begin in the nose area and end on the ears.
Line animals 2 times a year (in spring and summer). Initially, soft undercoats falls, then the isy hair. At the end of August, the link ends.
Due to tough and thick wool, the animal visually seems more than it really is. The weight of the badger depends on the time of year. Before hibernate weight - 23 kg, after awakening - 15 kg.
The badger's character is calm, not aggressive. When meeting with an enemy or man, he prefers to quickly run away. Rarely attack first.
Moves the animal is pretty slow, most often with small chambers and jumps. But if there is a danger, it can quickly run, knows how to swim well. The mammal has excellent smell and hearing. They can hear the enemy for hundreds of meters.
But the vision of the animal is weak. It can be said that the animal is practically blind. Badger sees moving objects blurred, as in the fog.
The traces of a badger resemble bearish, only much less. In the width of the trail of the animal 4 cm, in length about 8 cm.
Animal habits are well known. The badger leads the night lifestyle, and in the afternoon, sleeps after hunting. Most of the life, the animal is carried out in the hole, which the Himself builds and periodically updates. In the simplest performance of Nora consists of:
- one entrance;
- mandatory long tunnel;
- the nesting chamber in which there are leaves and dry grass.
The depth of the hole is 1-5 meters. Nest cameras Animal has under aquifer. Thanks to this, it is always dry and warm. The animals often change the litter, replacing the released leaves with new ones.
Often, plaque nora is a complex design with tunnels, a variety of inputs and outputs. Real Maze for other animals. Such badgers are built to protect themselves to protect themselves and offspring from foxes and raccoon dogs.
Area, habitats
Animal area is quite wide. Mammal lives throughout the area of \u200b\u200bEurope, Russia and the Caucasus. The exception is Scandinavia (northern) and Siberia.
Badger is found in China, Japan and on the Korean Peninsula.
Based on the habitat, several types of animal are distinguished:
- european badgers;
- asian badger.
The animal lives where the hole can be dug. If the area is flooded, the beast will not be able to get along there. Another important condition is the proximity of the reservoir or the lake (within a radius of up to 1 km).
Often, the animal can be found in deciduous or mixed forests where many shrubs and high grass grows. Badger prefers to dig holes in overgrown ravines, on Kozochras, forest edges. Often, living badger dwelling occurs on high banks. The beast does not live in open steppes, deserts, taiga deaf forests.
What does the badger eat?
Like any representative of Kunih, the badger can be attributed to predators. But in fact, the animal is not too twisted in food and even omnivorous.
From plant food will not give up the censors, berries, fruits, mushrooms, juicy branches of trees. If nearby there are snowy fields, the badger can spoil agricultural crops. It is impossible to completely call the animal with herp or herbivore.
From animal food, the animal can eat small rodents, fish, birds, insects, mollusks, larvae.
Favorite badger food - rainworms. It can eat them daily in large quantities, so practically does not need water.
The animal will never truck fall, even in the most hungry times. But his cub can eat.
Badger eats a little, up to 0.5 kg per day. Exceptions - a period of preparation for hibernation. For a few weeks, the animal can add up to 10 kg in weight. At this time, the nutrition of the badger is diverse.
Reproduction and offspring
Badgers are monogamous animals. They change partners only in rare cases. Couples are created for life.
The marriage period in animals lasts from February to October. But the peak of sexual activity falls on September. The pregnancy of female lasts for quite a long time, in some cases up to 12 months. It depends on the time when conception occurred.
Even before the appearance of the offspring, an adult badger begins to prepare a new mink for a young. In addition to the inputs and outputs, several nesting cameras are built, dry leaves are styled.
In each litter, 3-4 cubs are born (maximum 6). At first, the bursucas look like small rats. They are defenseless and fully dependent on their parents. Cubs are born blind and deaf, there are practically no wool on their body. The weight of the newborn barsuk does not exceed 80 grams.
Feeding with maternal milk lasts 3-4 months. After when the bursucas begin to eat on their own, they quickly gain in weight and leave parents.
But as a rule, the first hibernation (anabiosis) they spend together with the family, and then equip the detour.
The females become harsh in 2 years, males at 3 years.
How many live
The life expectancy of the animal is in the natural nature of 10-12 years, but in captivity a little more (up to 16 years). Due to these by the following factors:
- In the first years, only 50% of newborns survives from offspring. Young will eat parents themselves if they are hungry.
- Even after the animal is growing up, it starts to eat independently, the mortality remains high. They kill rivals in a fight for holes and new territories.
- Often, animals become a meal for bears, foxes, wolves.
- It is impossible to be written off with accounts and poachers who hunt for the barcut fat used in folk medicine.
- The animals die from infectious diseases.
Breeders are engaged in breeding badgers. This is a profitable business. But experts suggest that if the animal does not live in a natural medium, the badger fat loses properties and quality.
This mammal does not threaten extinction. An animal is listed in the Red Book, but marked with the fact that the view is under the smallest threat to disappearance. Often the animal is exterminated as a carrier of serious diseases, for example, rabies. But even at the same time, their population remains big.
As the facts show, a person represents a threat to the badgers. These animals are dying under the wheels of cars. If it goes on it further, the badger will become a rare view or disappear from the natural habitat.
Natural enemies
Mammal's enemies. Dangerous wild animals: bears, lynx, wolves, dogs. As a rule, young, inexperienced individuals become victims.
If the badger was caught by surprise, the animal makes a loud cry, calls for the help of tribesmen. Cut through this animal is hard. The animal bites, knocks off his paws, scratches the enemy. He contradicts serious injuries.
But with foxes, badgers do not entitle. These animals can even settle in the same hole. If the fox will not interfere and exterminate offspring, such a cohabitation will be successful.
Bumbers - useful mammals. Eating insects who harm agriculture. An animal skin does not represent interest in the fur industry, but the badger fat is still valuable in folk medicine. Bumbs do not die out, but to exterminate animals is prohibited.
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