| Japanese badger | |
|---|---|
 | |
| AtInokashira Park Zoo, Tokyo | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Suborder: | Caniformia |
| Family: | Mustelidae |
| Genus: | Meles |
| Species: | M. anakuma |
| Binomial name | |
| Meles anakuma Temminck, 1844 | |
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| Japanese badger range | |
TheJapanese badger (Meles anakuma) is a species ofcarnivoran of the familyMustelidae, theweasels and their kin.Endemic toJapan, it is found onHonshu,Kyushu,Shikoku,[2] andShōdoshima.[1] It is assigned to the genusMeles with its close relatives, theEuropean (M. meles),Caucasian (M. canescens) andAsian (M. leucurus)badgers. In Japan, it is called by the nameanaguma (穴熊, 貛) meaning "hole-bear", ormujina (むじな, 狢, 貉).
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At an average length of 79 cm (31 in) in males and 72 cm (28 in) in females, the Japanese badger is generally smaller and lesssexually dimorphic (except in the size of the canine teeth) than its European counterparts.[1][3] Tail length is between 14 and 20 cm (5.5 and 7.9 in). This species is similar or mildly larger than theAsian badger. Adults usually weigh from 3.8 to 11 kg (8.4 to 24.3 lb).[4][5] The average weight of female Japanese badgers in one study from theTokyo area was found to be 6.6 kg (15 lb) while that of males was 7.76 kg (17.1 lb).[6] InYamaguchi Prefecture, the average spring weight of female and male Japanese badgers was 4.4 kg (9.7 lb) and 5.7 kg (13 lb) respectively.[7] The torso is blunt and limbs are short. The front feet are equipped with powerful digging claws. The claws on the hind feet are smaller. The outer coat has long gray-brown hair. Ventral hair is short and black. The face has characteristic black-white stripes that are not as distinct as in theEuropean badger. The dark color is concentrated around the eyes. The skull is smaller than the European badger.[1]
The absence of badgers fromHokkaido, and the presence of relatedM. leucurus inKorea, suggest that the ancestral badgers reached Japan from the southwest via Korea.[1] Genetic studies indicate that there are substantial differences between Japanese and Asian badgers, which were formerly consideredconspecific, and that the Japanese badger is genetically more homogenous.[1]
Like other members ofMeles, the Japanese badger isnocturnal andhibernates during the coldest months of the year.[1] Beginning at 2 years of age, females mate and give birth to litters of two or three cubs in the spring (March–April). They mate again shortly afterwards, butdelay implantation until the following February.[1] The Japanese badger is more solitary than theEuropean badger; it does not aggregate into social clans, and mates do not formpair bonds. During mating season, the range of a male badger overlaps with those of 2 to 3 females.[1] Badgers with overlapping ranges may communicate byscent marking.[1]
This badger species is found in a variety of woodland and forest habitats.[1]
Similar to otherbadgers, the Japanese badger's diet is omnivorous; it includesearthworms,beetles,berries andpersimmons.[1] The Japanese badger's diet varies depending on seasonal availability. Based on fecal analysis, studies have shown that earthworm consumption is highest in the warmer seasons, coupled with berries, persimmons, and small insects in the summer months. When earthworms are less abundant in cooler months, the Japanese badger consumes more wild berries, likeRubus palmatus andRubus hirsutus, while consuming the most persimmons during the fruit's peak availability in the fall season.[8]
Although it remains common, the range ofMeles anakuma has shrunk recently.[1] Covering an estimated 29 per cent of the country in 2003, the area had decreased 7 per cent over the previous 25 years.[1] Increased land development and agriculture, as well as competition from introducedraccoons are threats. Hunting is legal but has declined sharply since the 1970s.[1]
In 2017, concern was raised by an upsurge in badger culling inKyushu. Apparently encouraged by local government bounties and increased popularity of badger meat in Japanese restaurants, it is feared the culling may have reached an unsustainable level.[9][10]
In Japanese mythology, badgers are shapeshifters known asmujina. In theNihon Shoki, mujina were known to sing and shapeshift into other humans.
