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What the sources say

European BadgerMeles meles

Every figure, record and mechanism on the European Badger profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 57 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

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Source
01

Woodland Trust

Badger (Meles meles). Woodland Trust.

The page saysthe UK's biggest land predator
The source saysThis makes them the biggest land predator in the UK.
The page saystypically weighing 10 to 12 kg with a body length of about 90 cm
The source saysthey typically weigh 10–12kg, with a body length of about 90cm.
The page saysIts sharp claws are ideal for digging setts
The source sayssharp claws that are ideal for digging
The page saysexcavated in soft earth, sometimes at the base of a tree
The source saysSetts are excavated in soft earth, sometimes at the base of trees.
The page saysdragging old bedding of hay, bracken and grass out under its chin, which prevents a build-up of fleas and lice
The source saysBadgers clean out their sleeping areas, dragging out old hay, bracken, grass and anything they’ve used as bedding by carrying it under their chin. This prevents a build-up of fleas and lice.
The page saysRoughly 80 percent of a badger's diet is earthworms, and it can eat hundreds of them in a single night.
The source saysAround 80% of a badger’s diet is made up of earthworms – they can eat hundreds of them in a single night
The page saysWhen worms are scarce it turns to voles and rabbits, and it is the main predator of hedgehogs in the UK.
The source saysWhen earthworms are scarce, badgers will eat small mammals like voles and rabbits. They are also the main predator of hedgehogs in the UK.
The page sayselderberries
The source saysFruit features in the badger's diet too, including pears, apples, plums and elderberries.
The page saysthough around four to seven is typical in the UK
The source saysBadgers live in social groups, typically made up of around four to seven individuals.Note: WT is a UK page; its 'typically' is kept as 'typical'
The page saysMating can happen in any month
The source saysMating occurs year-round, predominantly between February and May.
The page saysUK cubs are not born until January or February regardless of when mating happened
The source saysThis means cubs will not be born until January or February, regardless of when mating took place.
The page saysHistorical persecution means badgers are now fully protected by law in the UK, which has helped the population roughly double since the 1980s.
The source saysHistorical persecution means badgers are now fully protected by law. This has helped the UK population to grow, roughly doubling since the 1980s.
The page saysSharp claws ideal for digging setts, underground homes the badger cleans by dragging old bedding out under its chin.
The source sayssharp claws that are ideal for digging ... Badgers clean out their sleeping areas, dragging out old hay, bracken, grass and anything they’ve used as bedding by carrying it under their chin. ... The species lives in a network of underground burrows and tunnels know as a sett.Note: stats.superpower; combines two quotes from the same page
The page sayssmaller outlying setts
The source saysEach badger territory will include a main sett and several smaller outlying setts.
The page saysafter mating comes delayed implantation
The source saysAfter mating, a process known as delayed implantation occurs.
The page saysNocturnal digger with a striped face, sharp claws and a network of underground tunnels.
The source saysThe badger's distinctive striped face is unmistakable. ... sharp claws that are ideal for digging ... The species lives in a network of underground burrows and tunnels know as a sett. ... Badgers are strictly nocturnalNote: tagline
The page saysweightKg: 11
The source saysthey typically weigh 10–12kgNote: midpoint of the typical range; the whole range is Medium class

Source
02

AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Build 15

Meles meles (European badger). AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Build 15.

The page saysIn captivity, one lived 18.6 years.
The source saysOne captive specimen lived 18.6 years

Source
03

Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan

Meles meles (Eurasian badger). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

The page saysfrom Ireland and Spain to Russia, China and Japan
The source sayspresent from as far west as Ireland and Spain to the eastern edges of Russia, China, and Japan.
The page saysfemales weigh 6.6 to 13.9 kg and males 9.1 to 16.7 kg
The source saysFemale mass ranges from 6.6 to 13.9 kg, and male mass ranges from 9.1 to 16.7 kg.
The page sayscommunal burrows
The source saysEurasian badgers construct large, communal burrow systems called setts.
The page saysThe oldest known wild badger reached 14, though few exceed 6.
The source saysThe oldest known wild Eurasian badger lived to be 14 years old, however few exceed 6 years of age in the wild.Note: ADW 2011; AnAge Build 15 (2023) gives no wild figure. AnAge's captive record (18.6, with 19.5 anecdotal) replaces ADW's 'up to 19'.
The page saysIt also eats beetles, caterpillars and wasp nests, mice and rats, and carrion, occasionally taking birds and frogs
The source saysmoles, mice, rats and hedgehogs ... beetles, leatherjackets, caterpillars, and wasps. They target wasps, in particular, by eating their nests ... Eurasian badgers also eat carrion and occasionally eat birds, frogs, fish
The page saysfruit such as pears, plums, blackberries
The source saysmore than 30 different kinds of fruit, including pears, plums, raspberries, cherries, strawberries, acorns, beechmast, and blackberries
The page saysacorns, cereals and, occasionally, fungi
The source saysacorns, beechmast, and blackberries. Some cereals that they consume include maize, oats, wheat, and occasionally barley. Badgers also eat tubers and occasionally fungi.
The page saysSocial groups can hold anywhere from 2 to 23 badgers
The source saysSocial groups may have between 2 and 23 individuals.
The page saysUsually a single dominant female breeds, and she has been known to kill cubs born to other females in the group.
The source saysUsually, a single dominant female reproduces, and dominant sows are known to kill the cubs of intragroup sows.
The page saysgoverned partly by day length and temperature
The source saysImplantation of the egg is partially governed by abiotic conditions such as photoperiod and temperature.
The page saysA pregnant female badger can conceive again, an ability called superfetation.
The source saysDelayed implantation in female Eurasian badgers is coupled with superfetation, or the ability to conceive while pregnant.
The page saysAs a result, litters with more than one father are not uncommon.
The source saysAs a result, mixed-paternity litters are not uncommon.
The page saysuse them to mark territorial boundaries
The source saysEurasian badgers are territorial and demarcate territorial boundaries at latrine sights with sub-caudal gland secretions.
The page saysEarthworms, insects, small mammals, hedgehogs, fruit, and roots
The source saysEarthworms are one Eurasian badgers' primary food sources ... In addition to earthworms, Eurasian badgers also prey on rabbits, voles, shrews, moles, mice, rats and hedgehogs. They also eat a wide variety of large insects ... roots and tubersNote: stats.diet
The page saysDeciduous, conifer or mixed woodland beside open fields, plus hedges, farmland and grassland, from Ireland and Spain to Japan
The source saysas far west as Ireland and Spain to the eastern edges of Russia, China, and Japan ... Ideal habitat includes deciduous, conifer, or mixed woodlands adjacent to open fields. In addition, they may occupy hedges, scrub, and riverine habitats as well as agricultural land, grassland, steppes, and semi-deserts.Note: stats.habitat; the old line said 'across Britain and Europe', narrower than a range that reaches Japan
The page saysA typical litter is about three cubs, though litters of one to six happen.
The source sayslitters range from 1 to 6 cubs, with an average of 3
The page saysCubs emerge from the sett around 8 to 10 weeks after birth, are weaned by roughly 2.5 months, and reach sexual maturity at about a year old.
The source saysCubs emerge from their dens around 8 to 10 weeks after birth ... On average, cubs are weaned by 2.5 months, and male and female Eurasian badgers reach sexual maturity by about one year after birth.
The page saysA territory can cover as little as 2,500 square metres, a quarter of a hectare, or as much as a few square kilometres, and home ranges tend to be larger when food is scarce.
The source saysEurasian badger territories may cover as little as 2500 m^2 or may be as large as a few square kilometers. Territory size depends on food quality and abundance as well as the amount of area suitable for excavating setts. When food availability is low, home ranges tend to be larger.Note: 2500 m^2 = 0.25 hectare
The page sayswhile younger badgers tend to live in
The source saysYounger individuals tend to reside in peripheral setts.
The page saysThe main sett generally holds many of a group's adults
The source saysThe main sett generally contains many adults and is centrally located in the group's territory.
The page saysIt depends on food quality and abundance, and on how much ground is suitable for digging setts.
The source saysTerritory size depends on food quality and abundance as well as the amount of area suitable for excavating setts.
The page saysdangerLevel: Medium
The source saysbadgers are notoriously aggressiveNote: Medium, 'Can injure, but rarely seriously': a 10 to 12 kg aggressive digger with claws; no source reports serious injury to people
The page saystags: omnivore
The source saysThe teeth of Eurasian badgers are well suited for an omnivorous diet.

Source
04

Abramov 2025

Abramov (2025). Meles meles. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025: e.T29673A215859004.

The page saysLeast Concern
The source saysIUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC).

Source
05

Roper et al. 1993

Roper et al. (1993). Territorial Marking With Faeces in Badgers (Meles Meles): a Comparison of Boundary and Hinterland Latrine Use. Behaviour.

The page saysboundary latrines were larger and more consistently used than those nearer the middle, differences that could be explained by visits from more than one social group
The source saysBoundary latrines were larger and more consistently used than hinterland latrines, but these differences could be accounted for by the fact that boundary latrines are visited by the members of more than one social group.Note: 'In one study' keeps Roper's scope; hedge kept as 'could be explained by'
The page saysMales visited boundary latrines considerably more often than females, which the authors suggest works at least partly as mate-guarding, deterring neighbouring males from entering the territory to mate.
The source saysMales visited boundary latrines considerably more often than did females ... suggest that these function at least partly as a form of mate-guarding, to deter neighbouring males from entering a territory for mating purposes.
The page saysBadgers defecate, urinate and scent mark at latrines
The source saysBadgers (Meles meles) defecate, urinate and scent mark at latrines

Source
06

Kowalczyk, Jȩdrzejewska & Zalewski 2003

Kowalczyk, Jȩdrzejewska & Zalewski (2003). Annual and circadian activity patterns of badgers (Meles meles) in Białowieża Primeval Forest (eastern Poland) compared with other Palaearctic populations. Journal of Biogeography.

The page saysradio-collared badgers were nocturnal with one long bout of activity, emerging on average at 19:00 and returning at 03:42, for about 8.2 hours a night
The source saysThirteen badgers were radio‐collared in 1997–2001 ... Badgers were nocturnal with one long bout of activity ... On average, badgers emerged from setts at 19:00 hours and returned to them at 03:42 hours ... Duration of daily activity was, on average, 8.2 h day −1
The page saysThey built fat reserves in autumn, nearly doubling their spring body mass
The source saysIn autumn, they built fat reserves and their body mass nearly doubled compared with the spring values.
The page saysstayed inactive for an average of 96 days each winter
The source saysIn winter, badgers stayed inactive for an average of 96 days per year.
The page saysactive in one long bout each night, about 8.2 hours on average
The source saysBadgers were nocturnal with one long bout of activity ... Duration of daily activity was, on average, 8.2 h day −1Note: vibe.reason

Source
07

Gallagher & Clifton-Hadley 2000

Gallagher & Clifton-Hadley (2000). Tuberculosis in badgers; a review of the disease and its significance for other animals. Research in Veterinary Science.

The page saysA 2000 review concluded that badgers are well adapted as the primary host of bovine tuberculosis in parts of Britain and much of Ireland.
The source saysIt is concluded that badgers are well adapted as the primary host of bovine tuberculosis in parts of Britain and much of Ireland.Note: 2000 is the review's publication year (reference year); dated so a 2000 conclusion does not read as a current finding

Source
08

Downs et al. 2019

Downs et al. (2019). Assessing effects from four years of industry-led badger culling in England on the incidence of bovine tuberculosis in cattle, 2013–2017. Scientific Reports.

The page saysEngland introduced licensed badger culling in 2013 to control TB in cattle
The source saysIndustry-led badger culling as a policy to control bovine tuberculosis (TB) in cattle was introduced by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs in England in 2013.
The page saysa study of the first cull zones found its effect varied between areas
The source saysIndustry-led culling was associated with reductions in cattle TB incidence rates after four years but there were variations in effects between areas.
The page saysCattle TB incidence was about two-thirds lower in Gloucestershire and about a third lower in Somerset
The source saysCentral zone incidence rates in Gloucestershire (Incidence rate ratio (IRR) 0.34 (95% CI 0.29 to 0.39, p < 0.001) and Somerset (IRR 0.63 (95% CI 0.58 to 0.69, p < 0.001) were lower and no different in Dorset (IRR 1.10, 95% CI 0.96 to 1.27, p = 0.168) than comparison central zone rates.Note: IRR 0.34 = 66% lower (about two-thirds), 0.63 = 37% lower (about a third)
The page saysThe effect has varied between areas.
The source saysthere were variations in effects between areas
The page saysEngland's first three licensed cull zones
The source saysLicences for culling have been issued for two areas (in Gloucestershire and Somerset) from 2013, one area (in Dorset) from 2015, seven areas from 2016
The page saysafter four years of culling, but no different in Dorset after two
The source saysThe follow-up period in this analysis was four years from autumn 2013 to autumn 2017 in Gloucestershire and Somerset and two years from autumn 2015 to autumn 2017 in DorsetNote: 'no different' is the same IRR quote as the claim before it (Dorset IRR 1.10, p = 0.168)
The page sayswith matched comparison areas
The source saysFarming industry-selected licensed culling areas were matched to comparison areas.

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.