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).
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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OmnivoreAn omnivore is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and ani...
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ScavengerScavengers are animals that consume dead organisms that have died from causes other than predation or have been killed by other predators. While sc...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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VermivorousVermivore (from Latin vermi, meaning "worm" and vorare, "to devour") is a zoological term for animals that eat worms (including annelids, nematodes...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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FossorialA fossorial animal is one adapted to digging which lives primarily but not solely, underground. Some examples are badgers, naked mole-rats, clams, ...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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Island endemicIsland endemic animals are found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island. Animals or organisms that are indigenous to a place ar...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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PolygynandryPolygynandry is a mating system in which both males and females have multiple mating partners during a breeding season.
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Generally solitaryGenerally solitary animals are those animals that spend their time separately but will gather at foraging areas or sleep in the same location or sh...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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HibernatingHibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy charac...
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starts withThe 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.
