| Asian badger | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Stuffed specimen | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Mustelidae |
| Genus: | Meles |
| Species: | M. leucurus[1] |
| Binomial name | |
| Meles leucurus[1] Hodgson, 1847 | |
 | |
| Asian badger range | |
TheAsian badger (Meles leucurus), also known as thesand badger, is a species ofbadger native to Mongolia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Korean Peninsula and Russia.
The Asian badger is mostly lighter in colour than theEuropean badger, though some forms may closely approach the former in colour, if not darker, with smudges of ocherous and brownish highlights. The flanks are lighter than the middle of the back, and the facial stripes are usually brown rather than black. The facial stripes narrow behind the eyes and extend above the ears. The white parts of the head are usually dirtier in colour than those of the European badger. The light stripe passing along the top of the head between the two stripes is relatively short and narrow. The Asian badger is generally smaller than the European badger and has relatively longer upper molars.[3] It appears to be the smallest of the threeMeles badgers despite regional size variations, with the largest-bodied populations inSiberia. Body mass typically ranges from 3.5 to 9 kg (7.7 to 19.8 lb) and length from 50 to 70 cm (20 to 28 in).[4][5] The average weight of three adult males fromSobaeksan National Park was 6 kg (13 lb).[6]
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Five subspecies are recognized.[7]
| Subspecies | Trinomial authority | Description | Range | Synonyms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common sand badgerMeles leucurus leucurus | Hodgson, 1847 |
| ||
| Amur badgerMeles leucurus amurensis | Schrenck, 1859 | The darkest coloured and smallest subspecies. The facial stripes extend above the ears, and are black or blackish-brown in colour. The entire area between the stripes and cheeks are dirty-greyish brown, as opposed to white. The colour can be so dark, that the stripes are almost indistinguishable. The back is greyish-brown with silver highlights. The pelage itself is soft, but is lacking in wool. The skull is small, smooth and has weakly developed projections. It lacks first premolars. Body length is 60–70 centimetres (24–28 in).[8] | Ussuri,Priamurye,Greater Khingan andKorean Peninsula | melanogenys (J. A. Allen, 1913),schrenkii (Nehring, 1891) |
| Kazakh badgerMeles leucurus arenarius | Satunin, 1895 | A moderately sized subspecies, being intermediate in size betweenMeles meles meles andM. m. canascens. Its colour is lighter and paler than its northern cousins, with less prominent facial stripes. Its pelage is coarse and bristly, and has scarce underfur. Boars grow to 70–78 centimetres (28–31 in) in body length, while sows grow to 61–70 centimetres (24–28 in). Boars weigh 7.8–8.3 kilograms (17–18 lb) in March–May, and 5.6–7 kilograms (12–15 lb) in March–June.[9] | SoutheasternVolga, most ofKazakhstan (excepting the northern and montane parts), theMiddle Asian plains (excepting the regions occupied byMeles m. canascens andMeles m. severzovi) | |
| Siberian badgerMeles leucurus sibiricus | Kastschenko, 1900 | A moderately sized subspecies, being intermediate in size betweenMeles meles meles andM. m. canascens. The general colour tone of the back is light grey, usually with yellowish or straw coloured highlights. The facial stripes are brownish-black to tawny black. The pelage is long and soft with a dense undercoat. Boars grow to 65.7–75 centimetres (25.9–29.5 in) in body length, while sows grow to 62–69.2 centimetres (24.4–27.2 in). Boars weigh 10–13.6 kilograms (22–30 lb).[10] | Siberia, includingTransbaikalia andAltai, northern Kazakhstan and probably the eastern Volga |
|
| Tian Shan badgerMeles leucurus tianschanensis | Hoyningen-Huene, 1910 | A moderately sized subspecies, with a somewhat darker pelt thanM. l. arenarius and a less developed yellow sheen. The fur is longer, denser and fluffier.[9] | NorthernTian Shan | talassicus (Ognev, 1931) |
The Asian badger has a large range including the southern portion ofRussia east of theVolga River and of theUrals,Kazakhstan,Mongolia,China, andKorea. It occurs in areas of high elevation up to 4,000 m (13,000 ft)) in theUral Mountains, theTian Shan mountains and theTibetan Plateau. It prefers opendeciduous woodland and adjacentpastureland, but also inhabitsconiferous and mixed woodlands,shrubland and steppe. It sometimes enters suburban areas.[2]
The Asian badger is usuallyfossorial, but occasionally also climbs trees as evidenced by camera trap footage showing it climbing Korean oak (Quercus dentata) in South Korea.[11]
The Asian badger is legally hunted in China, Russia and Mongolia, as well as illegally in South Korea and within protected areas in China. Russia's established badger hunting season usually takes place from August to November.[2]
In South Korea, the Asian badger is used in traditional medicine, eaten as food and used for certain badger-derived cosmetics. Badger farms have existed in the country since the 1990s. In 2009, there were approximately 5000 Asian badgers on South Korean badger farms.[12]
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