Back to: Top / Contents

Breeding

Until relatively recent times, the breeding habits of the Eurasian badger Meles meles were the subject of much debate. The question being asked was just when does the breeding season occur? Matings had been reported at various times of year, and yet cub births always seemed to occur at around the same time. Then it was discovered that this badger, like many other mustelids and several other mammals, exhibits delayed implantation. This is a delay between the fertilization of the eggs, and their implantation on the wall of the uterus or womb. So the badger could indeed mate at various times of the year, and give birth after a gestation period ranging from as little as 2 months to as much as a year!

Delayed implantation has also been confirmed in the American badger, the honey badger, and the hog badger. The breeding habits of the American badger are fairly well known, but there is more to be learned about the reproductive biology of the honey badger and the hog badger. The scientific study of this aspect of the ferret badger's natural history has only recently begun, and then only in respect of one species, the Chinese ferret badger. The breeding habits of the other ferret badgers, and of the stink badgers, remain shrouded in mystery.

Back to: Top / Contents

Longevity - how long badgers live

The maximum recorded lifespans of the world's badgers, in the wild and in captivity, are as follows:

• Eurasian badger: 15 years / 19 years, 6 months
• American badger: 14 years / 26 years
• Hog badger: Unknown / 13 years, 11 months
• Ferret badgers: Unknown / 10 years, 6 months
• Stink badgers: Unknown / Unknown
• Honey badger: Unknown / 26 years, 5 months

Back to: Top / Contents

Picture credits

The photo of the badger footprint used at the head of this Article is © Steve Jackson. Credits for the photos used in the right-hand margin of this page for site navigation can be found on the Credits page.

Back to: Top / Contents