Asian badger
Preparation of an Asian badger, exhibited in the Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, China
The Asian Badger ( Meles leucurus ) is a predator of the marten family and one of three species of the genus Meles, which were put together, until recently, in a way. The spread of Asian style ranges from the Volga eastward through the temperate latitudes to East Asia.
Description
The Asian Badger is about 50-70 cm body length slightly smaller than the European badger. The tail length is 13-20 cm, weight about 3.5 to 9 kg.
The species is very similar to the European badger, but is lighter overall and shows a lighter, finer head drawing. The body is compact, the legs are short as well as the tail. The front legs carrying grave powerful claws back claws are less pronounced. The soles are smooth. The rough and dense coat is quite long upper side, lower side short, black and less dense. The head shows a characteristic striped pattern, with the run on a white background two narrow black brown stripes over the eyes to the ears. The ear tips are white. The nose is long and snout and shows a broad nose leather. Females have three pairs of teats. The dental formula is I 3/ 3 - C 1/ 1 - P 3/3 M 1/ 2 = 34
Distribution and population
The distribution area of the Asian badger extends east of the Volga through Central Asia, Mongolia and China to the Korean Peninsula. It is bordered to the west by the distribution area of the European badger. Between the upper Volga and the Kama there is an area where both species occur sympatrically. Only in the Schiguligebirge the Asian badger also occurs west of the Volga.
In China, Russia and Mongolia, the species is hunted both legal and illegal. However, it is considered by the IUCN as not threatened.
Geographical variation
There are two recognized subspecies.
- M. L. leucurus Hodgson, 1847 - Central, East and South China
- M. L. amurensis Schrenck, 1859 - Northeast China, Korea, Mongolia, Kazakhstan and Russia east of the Volga
Way of life
The way of life is very similar to that of the European badger. More detailed studies on differences between species with regard to the way of life are still missing. The Asian badger is nocturnal and feeds mainly on earthworms and insects. Occasionally added bee or wasp nests, bird nests, carrion and small mammals. Depending on the offer during the year of the vegetable content of the diet may increase significantly. This consists of fruits, nuts and acorns, roots and tubers or field crops.
The Asian Badger is preferably used in richly textured deciduous forests or grasslands with scattered trees before, but is also found in mixed and coniferous forests, scrublands, in the suburbs of major cities, in steppes and semi-deserts. The altitudinal distribution extends to 2500 m in the Tian Shan and probably even up to 4000 m in the highlands of Tibet. In the northern parts of the range of the species keeps hibernation.
System
Until the late 1990s, the widespread Palaearctic badger ( Meles meles ) was seen as the only extant species of the genus Meles. Recent morphological studies of Baculums and the molars, and analysis of mitochondrial DNA have revealed, however, that the three Subspeziesgruppen described so far deserve each species status. The species was therefore divided in the European badger ( Meles meles ), the Asian badger ( Meles leucurus ) and the Japanese badger ( Meles anakuma ).