Badger, Badger

The Asiatic stink badgers of the genus Mydaus were formerly included in the Melinae, but recent genetic evidence indicates that these are actually relatives of the skunks (family Mephitidae).

The lower jaw is articulated to the upper by means of a transverse condyle firmly locked into a long cavity of the cranium, so that dislocation of the jaw is all but impossible. This enables the badger to maintain its hold with the utmost tenacity, but limits its jaw movement to hingeing opening and shutting or sliding from side to side.

It possibly comes from the French word blaireau : "corn-hoarder", or from the French word bcheur (digger), introduced during William the Conqueror's reign. BBC Natural World, 2008, Badgers: Secrets of the Sett The Oxford English Dictionary, however, states that the most likely derivation is from badge + -ard , referring to the white mark borne like a badge on its forehead.

German Dachs , Dutch das , Norwegian svin- toks ), probably from the PIE root *tek'- "to construct," so that the badger would have been named after its digging of setts (tunnels).

The collective name for a group of badgers is a cete http://www.hintsandthings.co.uk/kennel/collectives.htm.

Clan size is variable from 2 to 15. Badgers are fierce animals and will protect themselves and their young at all costs. Badgers are capable of fighting off much larger animals such as wolves, coyotes and bears. Badgers can run or gallop at up to 2530 km per hour for short periods of time.

Unlike many carnivores that stalk their prey in open country, badgers catch most of their food by digging. They can tunnel after ground dwelling rodents with amazing speed. They have been known to cache food.

Manipulating the badger population is prohibited in many European countries as badgers are listed in the Berne Convention, but they are not otherwise the subject of any international treaty or legislation.

The dachshund dog breed has a history with badgers; " dachs " is the German word for badger, and dachshunds were originally bred to be badger hounds.

Likenesses of badgers appear through the Wisconsin State Capitol, and a badger appears on the head of the statue of Wisconsin atop the building. The official mascot of the University of Wisconsin-Madison is Buckingham U. Badger, AKA Bucky Badger.

Because badgers are a protected species in North America and most of Europe, virtually all commercial badger hair comes from mainland China, which supplies knots of hair in three grades to brush makers in both China and Europe. In rural Northern China, badgers multiply to the point of becoming a crop nuisance, and village cooperatives are licensed by the national government to hunt badgers and process their hair.

Many badger characters are featured in author Brian Jacques' Redwall series, most often falling under the title of Badger Lord or Badger Mother. Other stories featuring badgers include Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Mr. Tod ("Tommy Brock"), C. S. Lewis's Prince Caspian ("Trufflehunter"), The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, The Once and Future King and The Book of Merlyn by T. H. White, Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl, and The Animals of Farthing Wood.

The character Frances in Russell Hoban's series of children's books is a badger. Badgers also appear prominently in two volumes of Erin Hunter's The New Prophecy series, and a badger god is featured as a major character and spirit guide for the lead character in The Immortals series by Tamora Pierce. The scene is set for Tom Holt's Expecting Someone Taller during an encounter with a badger which is the final manifestation of a Germanic mythological character.

Source: Wikipedia > Badger