The Japanese badger (Meles anakuma ) is a species of carnivoran of the family Mustelidae, the weasels and their kin. Endemic to Japan, it is found on Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku, and Shōdoshima. It shares the genus Meles with its close relatives, the European (M. meles ) and Asian (M. leucurus ) badgers. In Japan it is called by the name anaguma (穴熊) meaning "hole-bear", or mujina (むじな, 狢).
The Japanese badger is a member of the genus Meles that contains two more living species, the Asian badger, and the European badger. The Japanese badger is smaller than the other two species and it has a much browner coat; its facial markings are also less distinct. The upper coat has long gray-brown hair and ventral hair is short and black. The face has characteristic black-white stripes and the dark color is concentrated around the eyes. The front feet are equipped with powerful digging claws.
Japanese badgers are native to Japan and are found on Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku, and Shōdoshima islands. They inhabit a variety of woodland and forest habitats and may visit agricultural, suburban, and urban areas.
Japanese badgers are nocturnal and hibernate during the coldest months of the year. They live in underground burrows called setts. These burrows may be very extensive and are used for shelter and raising young. Japanese badgers are generally solitary; they do not aggregate into social clans, and mates do not form pair bonds. During the mating season, the range of a male usually overlaps with the territories of two or three females. Badgers with overlapping ranges may communicate with each other by scent marking.
Japanese badgers are omnivores and scavengers. They feed on earthworms, insects, berries, and persimmons. Thye may also consume small mammals, nuts, and even carrion when available.
Japanese badgers are polygynandrous (promiscuous) breeders; this means that both the males and the females have multiple partners. Females give birth to a litter of 2 or 3 (occasionally 4) cubs in March or April. The gestation period typically lasts about 49 days. Soon after giving birth, females mate again and delay implantation until the following February. The young are born helpless weighing about 80 g. Weaning occurs between 4 to 6 weeks of age. Young females remain with their mother for 14 months, while males usually remain with the mother until they are 26 months old. Females become reproductively mature at 2 years of age but males are able to breed for the first time when they are 15 months old.
Increased land development and agriculture, as well as competition from introduced raccoons, are the main threats for the Japanese badger population. Many badgers also suffer from road mortality and from leg-hold traps set for Eurasian wild pigs.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Japanese badger total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List but its numbers today are decreasing.
Japanese badgers consume various insects and thus control a number of insect pest populations. Due to eating fruit, these animals become important seed dispersers in their ecosystem, and by digging their underground burrows badgers also help aerate the soil.