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Distribution range of the European badger (Meles meles), based on the distribution maps of Del Cerro et al. (2010) and Abramov & Puzachenko (2013).
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Knowing the environmental factors affecting species’ distribution is an important basic step in ecological research. Here, we present a literature review on the environmental factors influencing European badger (Meles meles) distribution and density. According to the published literature, the badger is a highly adaptive species, capable of using di...
Citations
... The European badger (Meles meles Linnaeus, 1758), a member of the mustelid family, is widely distributed across nearly all European countries [1,2]. Known for its adaptability and ability to exploit a wide range of resources, the species inhabits areas from sea level to mountainous regions, ranging from dense woodlands to open agricultural landscapes, and can even be found in suburban areas and urban parks [1,[3][4][5][6][7]. A variety of interacting factors, including climate, terrain characteristics (such as soil type and slope), habitat composition and heterogeneity, vegetation cover, and interspecific interactions, significantly influence the distribution of the European badger in Europe [4]. ...
... Known for its adaptability and ability to exploit a wide range of resources, the species inhabits areas from sea level to mountainous regions, ranging from dense woodlands to open agricultural landscapes, and can even be found in suburban areas and urban parks [1,[3][4][5][6][7]. A variety of interacting factors, including climate, terrain characteristics (such as soil type and slope), habitat composition and heterogeneity, vegetation cover, and interspecific interactions, significantly influence the distribution of the European badger in Europe [4]. These factors impact both sett construction and food availability, and the balance between these two ecological needs ultimately determines species habitat preferences [4,8]. ...
... A variety of interacting factors, including climate, terrain characteristics (such as soil type and slope), habitat composition and heterogeneity, vegetation cover, and interspecific interactions, significantly influence the distribution of the European badger in Europe [4]. These factors impact both sett construction and food availability, and the balance between these two ecological needs ultimately determines species habitat preferences [4,8]. ...
The European badger is a highly adaptable species, inhabiting a range of environments across Europe, from woodlands to urban areas, with its behaviour influenced by environmental conditions and human activities. This study examines the badger feeding habits, patterns of diel activity, and sett site choice in northwestern Italy, assessing how landscape composition affects these behaviours. We conducted our research across seven study areas in northern Italy from December 2020 to November 2022, utilising camera trapping, faeces analysis, and sett surveys. Our findings revealed significant dietary variation, with earthworms being the primary food source in natural landscapes, while fleshy fruits being consumed especially in mixed and heavily modified landscapes, up to constitute the staple of the diet in one agricultural area. Badgers were found to be nocturnal, primarily active between sunset and sunrise. Setts varied considerably in structure and location, with a preference for natural grounds over human-made structures; key factors influencing sett site choice included slope, exposure, and vegetation cover. This study underscores the European badger's remarkable adaptability, illustrating how its diet, activity patterns, and sett site preferences are shaped by a complex interplay of factors, allowing the species to thrive in both pristine and modified environments across northern Italy.
... It prefers forests close to open fields, but it also occupies riparian habitats, waste lands and farmlands. In recent decades it even began to occupy rural and urban environments in many countries, including Poland (Roca et al. 2014). In forests the badger plays a role of an ecosystem engineer and as such it is useful. ...
... In Poland, including the south-western part, the badger was regarded as rare (Pax 1925, Kopij 1996, Kowalczyk et al. 2000Nadolska 2002;Nadolska, Bartmańska 2003;Roca et al. 2014). The major finding of this study is that the badger once a rare game species in the south-western part of this country, became common throughout the region as a result dramatic increase in the years 2000-2020. ...
... Factors governing badger's distribution and abundance are those favouring both sett location (soil type, slope, vegetation cover), forest type, human activity, abundance and availability of earthworm, competitors and predators, parasites and diseases (Mysłajek et al. 2012, Roca et al. 2014. Badgers prefer ecotone zone (forest/open fields with pasture, meadows etc. with the presence of sandy places for the establishment of dens). ...
Based on hunting bags records from the years 1981–2020, distribution,
numbers and population dynamics of the badger was analysed in in SW Poland
(29 358 km2, including 8411 km2 forests). Before 1999, the badger was harvested
in SW Poland only occasionally. From 1999 till 2020, there was a steady increase
from c. 200 in 1999 to c. 1100 in 2019. This increase in harvesting was a result of
a parallel increase in numbers of badgers between 1996 (1000 individuals) to
2013 (c. 6500 individuals). Crude population density of the badger in SW Poland
in 2001-2020 was everywhere below 1 ind./1000 ha of the total area. The
ecological density, however, ranged from 0.2 to 6.1 ind./100 ha of total wooded
area.
... Despite its history of being a severely threatened species, the European badger is now abundant in Europe. Being a highly adaptive species, they have also adjusted to suburban and urban environments (Roca et al. 2014). In the current report, the first cardiovascular dirofilariosis cases in two European badgers in Greece are described. ...
Dirofilaria immitis is a ubiquitous nematode parasite with zoonotic potential, transmitted by mosquitoes, that causes heartworm disease in various animal species. Dogs are the parasite’s typical final host, and wild carnivores represent the parasite’s reservoir in nature. Studies on D. immitis infections in wild animals are essential to assess infection pressure for domestic animals, and until now, there has been only one infection case reported in a European badger (Meles meles). The current report describes the first two European badger cases with cardiovascular dirofilariosis in Greece. Two adult male badgers were rescued in Heraklion and Chania, Crete Island, and admitted to “ANIMA -Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre” in Athens. The detailed clinical examination revealed that the first badger suffered from severe broncho-pneumonitis while the second one displayed clinical signs associated with severe brain trauma. Blood samples were taken for haematology and biochemistry analyses during their short hospitalisation period. In addition, different routine diagnostic tests were carried out, including heartworm antigen testing (ELISA) and the modified Knott’s test for microfilariae. Both badgers were positive in both tests. The animals died a few hours after their admission and the detailed necropsies followed, revealed the presence of three parasites in each animal’s right heart, morphologically identified as adults of D. immitis. These findings add the European badger in the list of additional potential reservoir hosts for D. immitis and highlight the potential role of wildlife for companion animals and human health.
... The range of European badgers covers most of Europe -however, they do not occur in Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Shetland, the Hebrides, Orkney (Griffiths and Thomas 1997), nor within the Arctic Circle and therefore in northern Scandinavia and Russia. The boundary separating European and Asian badger populations runs along the Volga River, while European and Caucasian badgers are not clearly separated (Piza Roca et al. 2014). The boundary between their ranges is assumed to be in the North Caucasus, although in some places their territories overlap, potentially leading to hybridisation of the two subspecies (they are compatible with each other) (Abramov and Puzachenko 2007). ...
... Badgers can be found in deciduous and mixed forests, as well as in clearings, pastures, tree rows and various types of thickets and hedgerows (Zejda and Nesvadbová 1983). In addition, they have adapted to suburban and urban conditions, where they inhabit, for example, parks (Piza Roca et al. 2014). In Poland, however, such cases are extremely rare, as badgers lead a secretive lifestyle and by nature shy away from human contact. ...
... The optimal habitat for badgers is dense forest stands (deciduous and mixed forests, especially oak-and hornbeam-forests) and areas covered with dense shrubby vegetation, such as thickets or hedgerows (these are particularly important in agricultural and open landscapes as they act as mid-field shelter) (Zejda and Nesvadbová 1983;Piza Roca et al. 2014). Badgers also find their way quite well into pine forests (Kurek 2011 ...
The paper presents proposed methods for monitoring the European badger in Poland. In addition to the characteristics of the species, habitat requirements, threats and conservation perspectives are discussed. Based on literature data, indicators were developed to provide reliable information on population size and habitat condition. Furthermore, an example of a completed observation card and the resulting assessment is provided. Data collected in the recommended manner may help to learn about the current situation of badgers in Poland and thus contribute to the implementation of appropriate measures for their protection.
... The Eurasian badger (from now on "badger") is the biggest mustelid species in Europe with a wide distribution and stable population, classified as "least concerned" according to the IUCN (see S1) [283]. Badger distribution and population density are correlated with their food resources, which mainly consist of cereals, earthworms, insects, and even rabbits depending on the local conditions [284]. Even though a negative correlation between human population density and badger density was reported [283], in some European countries the anthropogenic land-use change increased food resources for this animal species because of agriculture [285]. ...
... Even though a negative correlation between human population density and badger density was reported [283], in some European countries the anthropogenic land-use change increased food resources for this animal species because of agriculture [285]. Badgers are mainly nocturnal animals that dig large burrows used as temporary shelter by many other animal species, such as foxes, other smaller mustelid species, or even lynx [284,286,287]. ...
Mesocarnivores are small-or mid-sized carnivore species that display a variety of ecologies and behaviours. In Europe, wild mesocarnivores are represented by the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), the golden jackal (Canis aureus), the European wildcat (Felis silvestris), the Mustelidae of the genera Meles, Martes, Mustela, Lutra, the invasive species of raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides), raccoons (Procyon lotor), and American mink (Neomustela vison). These abundant animals thrive in various habitats and often develop their activity close to human settlements. Thus, they may play an important role in the introduction, maintenance, and transmission of major parasitic zoonoses and promote bridging infections with domestic animals. Against this background, this article reports and discusses some of the most important endoparasites of wild mesocarnivores living in Europe, on the basis of their actual role as reservoirs, spreaders, or sentinels. The data derived from epizo-otiological studies in different European countries, and the proven or speculated implications of the detected endoparasites in human and domestic animals' health, are discussed. Through older and recent literature review, the state-of-the-art knowledge on the occurrence and prevalence of the parasites under consideration is presented, showing further, warranted investigations and the need for surveillance and vigilance.
... The European badger is a common and widespread species [9,10]. Badgers play an important part in various interspecific interactions depending on their diet, behaviour, prey-predator interactions, disease dispersal, etc. [5,[11][12][13][14]. Badger-human relationships can be quite ambivalent due to some damage, e.g., in farmlands or infrastructure [15,16]. ...
... Hunting may constitute a significant share of the mortality of this species and cause its decline [12,145]. In the Carpathian Mountains in Poland, hunters obtain 0.37 badger/10 km 2 , while wolves kill 0.07 badger/10 km 2 [43]. ...
The European badger plays an important role as a natural factor shaping species diversity in forests. Its extensive setts can be used by many other animals as shelters. Soil perturbations in their setts support plant communities that differ from the matrix landscape. The badger is also an effective seed disperser. We investigated its role as an ecosystem engineer in preserving species diversity and discussed its legal status across Europe. In most European countries (69.3% of the continent), the badger is hunted, sometimes year-round. The hunting season lasting through winter until early spring may have a negative effect on badger populations, especially when cubs are born in February. Although this species is Red Listed in 19 European countries (with categories ranging from LC to EN), the badger is strictly protected by law in 30.7% of its European range. A reduction in badger populations may limit its ecosystem services (seed dispersal, topsoil disturbances, microhabitat creation). Much new data on the importance of badgers in ecosystem engineering has allowed us to reconsider how we manage badger populations.
... Such social structure determines the species density, which peaks in the UK (38 ind./km 2 ) and reaches its lowest value in Eastern Europe (e.g., Czech Republic, 0.12 ind./km 2 [7]. This variation in density is frequently linked to climate variation (e.g., wetter climate favors earthworm's abundance and, indirectly, badgers), abundance and availability of potential sett sites and/or food, and level of disturbance, such as human population density, road density or hunting pressure [8]. ...
... The European badger shows a high adaptability throughout its wide distribution range highlighted by its wide variation in feeding habits [50], density [7], group size [7], or habitat use patterns and drivers [8]. Our results bring novel information on still poorly known aspects of Mediterranean badger ecology (e.g. ...
Carnivores social organization varies widely, from strongly social to solitary predators. European badgers are facultative social carnivores that also shows a geographical variation in social structure. These patterns derive mainly from central/west European regions, with an under-representation of Mediterranean populations that face different conservation challenges, especially regarding group composition, sett use patterns and breeding phenology. We addressed these traits topics for a population inhabiting a Portuguese agro-silvo-pastoral system. Based on monthly monitoring of 34 setts and continuous camera-trapping surveys of 12, we showed that setts surrounded by diversified vegetation and located in sandy sites are more used, a pattern probably linked to food availability and ease of sett excavation and maintenance, respectively. Badgers followed a general pattern regarding group size (2–4 adults), but showed an intermediate population density (0.49–0.73 badgers/km2), with values higher than those estimated for other Mediterranean environments, but lower than for central-western populations. This, together with the breeding (November/January) and cub emergence (1.8 cubs/sett; March/April) periods, indicates an ecological adaptation to the landscape context, where human-related resources and mild environmental conditions allow badger to reach higher densities than in many southern populations, and to reproduce earlier than their northern counterparts.
... The Eurasian (European) badger (Meles meles, Mustelidae family, Carnivora order) is widespread throughout Europe, and while it prefers mixed pasture and broadleaf woodlands, its generalist, highly adaptable nature enables it to exploit a wide variety of habitats [8,9]. Although relatively abundant in European countries, lower densities have been reported in some areas, sometime associated with hunting and "baiting", and strong population fluctuations have been observed. ...
... Although relatively abundant in European countries, lower densities have been reported in some areas, sometime associated with hunting and "baiting", and strong population fluctuations have been observed. This has prompted the implementation of conservation regulations and protected status since the 1970s and 1980s in several countries, such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Albania, Greece, Estonia, Luxemburg and Hungary [8]. The badger is Britain's largest indigenous carnivore species and it has its own protection legislation, which is additional to general wildlife conservation legislation. ...
Arthropod-borne diseases (ABD) are of increasing interest in veterinary and public health. Eurasian badgers (Meles meles) are known to harbor a wide range of pathogens, but information on their role as ABD reservoirs and their potential epidemiological relevance is limited. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of arthropod-borne pathogens, specifically piroplasmids and the bacteria Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia canis, Coxiella burnetii, Francisella tularensis and Bartonella spp., in badgers from Great Britain (GB). Blood and heart samples from 18 badgers were examined using PCR and sequencing. A neighbour-joining (NJ) phylogram was also produced. Nine animals tested positive for Babesia sp., while none of the samples was positive for the investigated bacteria. The sequences obtained clustered with other sequences of Babesia sp. from badgers from GB and elsewhere, including China, Hungary, Spain and Italy, showing a widespread distribution of this parasite in badgers. Badger-associated Babesia DNA was also found recently in a wild cat in Bosnia Herzegovina, in a wolf in Italy and in dogs in Hungary. Further investigations are needed to understand the epidemiology of this putative pathogen and its impact on the health of wild and domestic carnivores.
... Habitat amount was measured as the total surface of the patches belonging to all the land cover types that played the role of nodes, while landscape connectivity was calculated for all patches belonging to all the land cover types defined as either nodes or connectivity elements, merged together into a single land cover type. The simulated landscape model that better fitted the observed occurrence data of each species was considered as the actual species Among the land cover types of our study area, we considered a priori woodlands as nodes for both the European badger (Virgós 2001b;Balestrieri et al. 2009a;Piza Roca et al. 2014) and the Roe deer (Barančeková 2004). We alternatively defined hedgerows, poplar cultivations, biomass crops, and reforestations as a node, a connectivity element, or a matrix for the European badger, while for the Roe deer we identified poplar cultivations, biomass crops, and reforestations as either a node, a connectivity element, or a matrix, and hedgerows as either a connectivity element, or a matrix (Table 1). ...
To counteract the negative effects of forest fragmentation on wildlife it is crucial to maintain functional ecological networks. We identified the ecological networks for two mammals with very different degrees of forest specialization, the European badger Meles meles and the Roe deer Capreolus capreolus, by differentiating four agroforestry elements as either nodes or connectivity elements, and by defining the distance that provides the functional connectivity between fragments. Species occurrence data were collected in a wide agroecosystem in northern Italy. To test the role of hedgerows, traditional poplar cultivations, short rotation coppices, and reforestations as ecological network elements for the two species we applied the method of simulated species perceptions of the landscape (SSPL), comparing the ability of different SSPLs to explain the observed species distribution. All analyses were repeated considering different scenarios of species movement ability through the matrix. Model outputs seem to show that the specialist and highly mobile Roe deer has the same movement ability throughout the matrix (2 km) as the European badger, a smaller, but generalist species. The ecological network identified for the European badger was widespread throughout the area and was composed of woodlands, poplar cultivations and hedgerows as nodes and short rotation coppices as connectivity elements. Conversely, the ecological network of the Roe deer was mostly limited to the main forest areas and was composed of woodlands, poplar cultivations and reforestations as nodes and short rotation coppices and hedgerows as connectivity elements. The degree of forest specialization strongly affects both species perception of habitat and movement ability throughout the matrix, regardless of species size. This has important implications for species conservation.
... Two major habitat factors shape badger distribution in Portugal: landcover and soil/rock structure. Our data indicates that areas showing some heterogeneity are pre- ferred (as also found by Piza-Roca and colleagues 40 ). Herbaceous fields and shrublands presented a positive influence on badger presence, up to a threshold of 20% and 15% coverage of the landscape, respectively, with an optimal coverage of between 5 and 10%. ...
Human-Induced Rapid Environmental Change (HIREC), particularly climate change and habitat conversion, affects species distributions worldwide. Here, we aimed to (i) assess the factors that determine range patterns of European badger (Meles meles) at the southwestern edge of their distribution and (ii) forecast the possible impacts of future climate and landcover changes on those patterns. We surveyed 272 cells of 5 × 5 km, to assess badger presence and confirmed its occurrence in 95 cells (35%). Our models estimate that badger’s presence is promoted by the occurrence of herbaceous fields and shrublands (5%–10%), and low proportions of Eucalyptus plantations (50% of podzols and eruptive rocks, higher sheep/goat density (>4 ind/km2), an absence of cattle, intermediate precipitation regimes (800–1000 mm/year) and mild mean temperatures (15–16 °C) are also more likely to host badgers. We predict a decrease in favourability of southern areas for hosting badgers under forecasted climate and landcover change scenarios, which may lead to a northwards retraction of the species southern distribution limit, but the overall landscape favourability is predicted to slightly increase. The forecasted retraction may affect community functional integrity, as its role in southern ecological networks will be vacant.
