The Asian badger (Meles leucurus), also known as the sand badger, is a species of badger native to Mongolia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Korean Peninsula and Russia.

Characteristics

The Asian badger is mostly lighter in colour than the European badger, though some forms may closely approach the former in colour, if not darker, with smudges of ocherous and brownish highlights. The flanks are lighter than the middle of the back, and the facial stripes are usually brown rather than black. The facial stripes narrow behind the eyes and extend above the ears. The white parts of the head are usually dirtier in colour than those of the European badger. The light stripe passing along the top of the head between the two stripes is relatively short and narrow. The Asian badger is generally smaller than the European badger and has relatively longer upper molars. It appears to be the smallest of the three Meles badgers despite regional size variations, with the largest-bodied populations in Siberia. Body mass typically ranges from 3.5 to 9 kg and length from 50 to 70 cm. The average weight of three adult males from Sobaeksan National Park was 6 kg.

Taxonomy

Five subspecies are recognized.

Distribution and habitat

The Asian badger has a large range including the southern portion of Russia east of the Volga River and of the Urals, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, and Korea. It occurs in areas of high elevation up to 4000 m) in the Ural Mountains, the Tian Shan mountains and the Tibetan Plateau. It prefers open deciduous woodland and adjacent pastureland, but also inhabits coniferous and mixed woodlands, shrubland and steppe. It sometimes enters suburban areas.

Behaviour and ecology

The Asian badger is usually fossorial, but occasionally also climbs trees as evidenced by camera trap footage showing it climbing Korean oak (Quercus dentata) in South Korea.

Threats

Asian badgers are legally hunted in China, Russia and Mongolia, as well as illegally in South Korea and within protected areas in China. Russia's established badger hunting season usually takes place from August to November. In Mongolian traditional medicine, balm made from badger fat oil is used as a remedy for variety of ailments and diseases such as pulmonary tuberculosis, pneumonia, bronchitis, stomach ulcer, inflammatory diseases of the kidney, intestinal diseases and colds. In South Korea, Asian badgers are also used in traditional medicine (including as a substitute for the Asian black bear), eaten as food, and used for certain badger-derived cosmetics. Badger farms have existed in the country since the 1990s. In 2009, there were approximately 5000 Asian badgers on South Korean badger farms.