WildBristol.uk - Discovering Wildlife in Bristol

Widespread throughout the UK but more common in the South. Habitat includes: woodland, hedgerows, parks, allotments, cemeteries, farmland, wasteland etc. Length: 75 cm. Lifespan: Up to 14 years. Diet: Thy are omnivores and will eat almost anything including: Worms, Slugs, Snails, Berries (Elder is they're favourite), Bulbs (Bluebells) Sweetcorn (allotments), hedgehogs (Badgers are they're no. one predator), fledge-lings, Snakes, Lizards including Slow Worms, Amphibians: Frogs, Toads. They live in groups who build a set consisting of underground chambers. Setts are handed down from generation to generation and some in the UK are hundreds of years old. Mortality rate is high with 50 % of badgers dying in their first year. Litters contain up to 3 cubs and weaning begins after just 3 months. They are often run over on motorways.