In Latvia's state forests it is increasingly possible to spot the badger (Meles meles) – a medium-sized mammal belonging to the mustelid family within the order of carnivores. Although the badger is mostly active at dusk and during the night, spending the day in its sett, its presence in the forest is revealed by characteristic tracks, diggings and elaborate underground tunnel systems. Naturalist Ilmārs Tīrmanis tells us more about badgers.

A body adapted to life underground

The badger's body is well suited to life in burrows – it is strong and stocky, with a narrowed front end and a wedge-shaped head with a pointed snout. The animal has relatively short but powerful legs, small ears and a short tail that averages around 18 centimetres.

A badger's weight varies considerably with the season. In early spring it may be as little as 7-12 kilograms, whereas in autumn the animal often exceeds 20 kilograms, having built up fat reserves for the winter.

The coat is fairly long and coarse – the upper side of the body is mostly silvery grey or brownish grey, while the head and neck are marked by distinctive black and white lengthwise stripes. The legs and underside of the body are black. The badger has a very good sense of smell and hearing, but comparatively poor eyesight.

The badger is plantigrade – it walks on the whole foot. This allows the animal to travel over land for long periods, walking, trotting or moving in short bounds. When needed, the badger is also a good swimmer.

The badger is at its most active at dusk and during the night. The animal leaves various signs of its presence in the forest, such as tracks, or footprints. These are broad and short, with long toes and strong, blunt claws. The claws on the front feet are longer and sharper than those on the hind feet – they are particularly well suited to digging.

"Badger towns" in the forest

Although the badger is often thought of as a solitary animal, one can quite often be lucky enough to see two adult badgers moving along amicably side by side in search of food. Animals of this species often live several together, colony-style, in elaborate systems of deep, labyrinthine underground burrows, popularly known as "badger towns" or "badger hills". That said, if a colony is inhabited by several families, each of them has its own burrows with separate entrances.

Burrows are usually established in sandy or sandy-loam hilly forest compartments – most often in mixed or coniferous forests. The site must be dry, with a low groundwater level and sufficient sunlight. There is often also a clearing or a body of water nearby.

A single burrow system usually has several entrances, and sometimes ventilation shafts as well. If conditions do not change, badgers may occupy the same site for many years. Badgers keep their burrows very clean.

An omnivore with a particular sweet tooth

Although the badger belongs to the order of carnivores, it is very much an omnivore. The animal's diet is dominated by food of animal origin – especially invertebrates. Badgers readily eat earthworms and insect larvae living in the ground, as evidenced by the scattering of shallow holes dug at night.

The diet also includes various small vertebrates – amphibians, reptiles, ground-nesting birds and their eggs, as well as small mammals. Badgers do not turn down carrion either.

Among plant foods, hazelnuts, acorns and sweet fruits hold an important place. Badgers have a distinct sweet tooth – they are very fond of sweet cherries and honey. To obtain honey, the animals will also dig out bumblebee nests. In doing so, these diggers gain access not only to bumblebee honey but also to the insects' larvae. It is precisely because of the larvae that the nests of ground-nesting wasps are often destroyed.

Young are born in early spring

Badgers form fairly stable pairs that often stay together for several years. Females have a long gestation period with a so-called delayed implantation phase, which ensures that the young are not born in winter.

In late winter or early spring the female usually gives birth to 2-3 cubs, more rarely up to six. They are born blind and deaf. After about three months the cubs stop suckling, and by autumn they are already beginning an independent life.

Evolution has endowed badgers with a curious gift – specially modified sweat glands, or scent glands, which produce a secretion the animals use to mark their territory, their burrows and, within their family, one another.