Japanese badger (Meles anakuma)

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Mammalia
Order	Carnivora
Family	Mustelidae
Genus	Meles (1)

Top facts

• As its common name suggests, the Japanese badger is endemic to Japan
• Japanese badgers are omnivorous, feeding on earthworms, insects, small mammals and fruit
• Unlike European badgers, Japanese badgers do not form a male-female bond to rear cubs
• Japanese badgers are largely nocturnal, and spend most of their time underground in setts from December to February

The Japanese badger is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List (1).

Information on the Japanese badger (Meles anakuma) is being researched and written and will appear here shortly.

This information is awaiting authentication by a species expert, and will be updated as soon as possible. If you are able to help please contact:
arkive@wildscreen.org.uk

1. IUCN Red List (July, 2012)
   http://www.iucnredlist.org