2007Estonian Fauna - The Badger - Set

The Badger (Meles meles) is an animal of stocky build weighing about 10-30 kilograms. Its fur is grey on the back, black on the sides , but its head is white with a black stripe running down its sides from the nose to the ears, surrounding the eyes. As the badger loves both forests as well as rolling meadowlands, it is more frequently found in the south of Estonia than elsewhere in the country. In sandy soil the badger digs large underground catacombs called setts, sometimes on several levels. Generations of badgers use the same setts over decades and centuries while expanding and refining them. The badger eats anything that is currently available, starting from earthworms and insects to mice and frogs. In the autumn the badger feasts on ripe fruits, grain and peas. The badger foragers at night or in the dusk and hibernates from November to March. The young (usually two to four) are born in March or April.