{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "badger",
  "name": "Badger",
  "scientificName": "Meles meles",
  "category": "Mammal",
  "summary": "The European badger is a stocky, powerfully built mammal famous for the black-and-white stripes on its face. It is nocturnal, lives in family groups called clans inside large underground burrow systems known as setts, and feeds mainly on earthworms. Badgers weigh up to about 12 kg (26 lb) and typically live around 6 years in the wild.",
  "conservationStatus": "Least Concern",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Mammalia",
    "order": "Carnivora",
    "family": "Mustelidae",
    "genus": "Meles"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 12,
    "lengthM": 0.9,
    "topSpeedKmh": 30,
    "lifespanYears": 14
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Meles meles"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Omnivore (mostly earthworms)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Woodland, hedgerows, farmland, grassland"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "Around 6 years wild (up to 14)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "9–12 kg (20–26 lb), heavier in autumn"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "30 km/h (19 mph) in short bursts"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Least Concern (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Across most of Europe and into western and central Asia, from Britain and Scandinavia to the Middle East; widespread throughout the UK.",
    "continents": [
      "Europe",
      "Asia"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Meles meles.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Meles%20meles&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Meles meles. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Meles_meles/"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Wikipedia — Badger.",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_badger"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/badger/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/badger/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}