Meles anakuma, Temminck, 1844

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2009, Mustelidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 1 Carnivores, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 564-656 : 622-623

4.

Japanese Badger

Meles anakuma

French: Blaireau du Japon / German: Japanischer Dachs / Spanish: Tejon japonés

Taxonomy. Meles anakuma Temminck, 1844 .

Japan.

Some authors consider M. anakuma as a subspecies of the Asian Badger. Monotypic.

Distribution. Japan (Honshu, Kyushu & Shikoku Is).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 50-80 cm,tail 14-20 cm; weight 6-17 kg. The Japanese Badger has a stocky body, short legs, grayish pelage, and contrasting black and white stripes on the head and upper neck. The foreclaws are well-developed for digging; the hindclaws are much smaller.

Habitat. Japanese Badgers are found in fields and forests, often in close proximity to humans in suburban habitats.

Food and Feeding. In Hinode, a suburb of Tokyo, scat analysis revealed that during spring and summer, earthworms (Megaseolocidae) occur at high frequency in the diet, with berries (Rubus sp.), beetles, and persimmon (Dymopyrus kaki) also eaten during summer months. Scavenged food is eaten in early spring when earthworm availability is low, and in the autumn, Japanese Badgers switch from eating worms when Persimmon is abundant.

Activity patterns. Primarily nocturnal, although sometimes active in the daytime. Breeding females, in particular, often forage during the day and in the spring. Between July and October, Japanese Badgers usually emerge from their setts around sunset and return around sunrise. After November, the time between emergence and return becomes shorter. From January to February, most activity ceases, and Japanese Badgers stay in their setts most of the time. The total hibernation period varies from 42-80 days, during which the body temperature is reduced. Den/resting sites are in underground burrows called setts or in couches. In Japan, the resting sites in each badger’s home range were found to be within 630 m of each other. Setts were sited within the core areas of home ranges and were mostly on a sub-ridge. Couches were mainly in deciduousforest, and along the forest edge, and were generally sited towards the periphery of home ranges.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Japanese Badgers form family groups consisting of a mother and her offspring. Mature adult males seldom visit the family except in early spring, and they are found to have large home ranges that encompass the home ranges of two to three adult females. The home ranges of each sex do not overlap, suggesting intra-sexual territoriality. Japanese Badgers use an average of 13-5 setts in a year; adult males and females seldom stay in the samesett together. Male offspring share a sett with their mother for up to 26 months, whereas female offspring remain with the mother for only 14 months. The average time male offspring spend with their mothers decreases when young are between 15 and 19 months old. In Hinode, Tokyo, the mean home range size of males (40 ha) was found to be larger than that of females (11 ha).

Breeding. Mating occurs from April to August. Implantation of the fertilized eggs into the uterus is delayed until February. Litter size varies from one to three. Male offspring continue growing for 24 months, but females reach adult size in a year. Sexual maturity is reached after two years.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern in The IUCN Red List. Field studies are needed are learn more about the natural history, ecology, and conservation status of the Japanese Badger.

Bibliography. Abramov & Puzachenko (2006), Kaneko (2001, 2005), Kaneko et al. (2006), Sato et al. (2003), Tanaka (2005, 2006), Wozencraft (2005).

Figures

1. American Badger (Taxidea taxus), 2. Honey Badger (Mellivora capensis), 3. Hog Badger (Arctonyx collars), 4. Japanese Badger (Meles anakuma), 5. Asian Badger (Meles leucurus), 6. European Badger (Meles meles)

Distribution. Japan (Honshu, Kyushu & Shikoku Is).