Back to: Top / Contents

Breeding - from mating to cub birth

Relatively little is known about the reproductive biology of the hog badger. However, it seems likely that delayed implantation occurs as with Meles meles.

The main evidence for this came from a captive pair of hog badgers kept in Toronto Zoo, received from China in July 1976. The female produced young in February 1977. Mating was then observed on several occasions from April to September that year, and a second litter was produced in February 1978. The true gestation period, following the period of delayed implantation, was thought likely to have been about 6 weeks.

The time of cub birth may vary in the wild. There is a record of a litter of new-born young being found in northern China in April.

Back to: Top / Contents

Development - from cub to adult

Recorded litter sizes have ranged from 2 to 4. The young are said to be playful animals, rather like the cubs of Meles. One of the cubs born in Toronto Zoo reached adult size at 7 to 8 months of age.

Back to: Top / Contents

Longevity - how long hog badgers live

A hog badger in captivity reached the age of 13 years 11 months. Life expectancy in the wild is likely to be considerably less than this.

Back to: Top / Contents

References

b003-01.

Picture credits

The hog badger photo used at the head of this page is © Advanced Thailand Geographic Magazine, and used with the kind permission of Thon Thamrongnawasawat, TalayThai.com Manager. 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