| wind turbines cause chronic stress in badgers (meles meles) in great britain. | a paucity of data exists with which to assess the effects of wind turbines noise on terrestrial wildlife, despite growing concern about the impact of infrasound from wind farms on human health and well-being. in 2013, we assessed whether the presence of turbines in great britain impacted the stress levels of badgers ( meles meles ) in nearby setts. hair cortisol levels were used to determine if the badgers were physiologically stressed. hair of badgers living <1 km from a wind farm had a 264% hi ... | 2016 | 27187031 |
| new data on the prevalence of trichodectes melis (phthiraptera, trichodectidae) on the european badger meles meles (carnivora, mustelidae). | trichodectes melis is a specific ectoparasite of the european badger meles meles. distribution of this chewing louse is little known, although presumably it coincides with the range of its typical host. in poland, it has been found in only a few stands in the western part of the country. it has recently been observed in the area of the białowieża primeval forest, where 81 specimens of t. melis (48 females, 7 males and 26 nymph forms) were collected from two female european badgers, mainly from t ... | 2014 | 25706425 |
| wildlife disease ecology from the individual to the population: insights from a long-term study of a naturally-infected european badger population. | 1. long-term individual-based datasets on host-pathogen systems are a rare and valuable resource for understanding the infectious disease dynamics in wildlife. a study of european badgers (meles meles) naturally infected with bovine tuberculosis (btb) at woodchester park in gloucestershire (uk) has produced a unique dataset, facilitating investigation of a diverse range of epidemiological and ecological questions with implications for disease management. 2. since the 1970s this badger population ... | 2017 | 28815647 |
| two new carnivores from an unusual late tertiary forest biota in eastern north america. | late cenozoic terrestrial fossil records of north america are biased by a predominance of mid-latitude deposits, mostly in the western half of the continent. consequently, the biological history of eastern north america, including the eastern deciduous forest, remains largely hidden. unfortunately, vertebrate fossil sites from this vast region are rare, and few pertain to the critically important late tertiary period, during which intensified global climatic changes took place. moreover, strong ... | 2004 | 15457257 |
| fecal virome analysis of three carnivores reveals a novel nodavirus and multiple gemycircularviruses. | more knowledge about viral populations in wild animals is needed in order to better understand and assess the risk of zoonotic diseases. in this study we performed viral metagenomic analysis of fecal samples from three healthy carnivores: a badger (meles meles), a mongoose (herpestes ichneumon) and an otter (lutra lutra) from portugal. | 2015 | 25986582 |
| coexistence of sympatric carnivores in relatively homogeneous mediterranean landscapes: functional importance of habitat segregation at the fine-scale level. | one of the main objectives of community ecology is to understand the conditions allowing species to coexist. however, few studies have investigated the role of fine-scale habitat use segregation in the functioning of guild communities in relatively homogeneous landscapes where opportunities for coexistence are likely to be the most restrictive. we investigate how the process of habitat use differentiation at the home range level according to the degree of specialism/generalism of species can lea ... | 2015 | 25933639 |
| molecular detection of sarcocystis lutrae in the european badger (meles meles) in scotland. | neck samples from 54 badgers and 32 tongue samples of the same badgers (meles meles), collected in the lothians and borders regions of scotland, were tested using polymerase chain reactions (pcrs) directed against the 18s ribosomal dna and the internal transcribed spacer (its1) region of protozoan parasites of the family sarcocystidae. positive results were obtained from 36/54 (67%) neck and 24/32 (75%) tongue samples using an 18s rdna pcr. a 468 base pair consensus sequence that was generated f ... | 2017 | 28641603 |
| host specificity of the badger's flea (paraceras melis) and first detection on a bat host. | defining the whole spectrum of potential hosts of a parasite has large epidemiological and evolutionary implications in biology. specialized parasites might be able to occasionally exploit a range of different host species, increasing the individual survival and the chances of successful dispersal. for long time paraceras melis has been considered a specific flea of european badger meles meles. anyway, it has occasionally been reported on different hosts. in this work, we summarize the host spec ... | 2014 | 25216783 |
| niche relations among three sympatric mediterranean carnivores. | previous studies carried out in the doñana national park reported that red foxes (vulpes vulpes) were killed by iberian lynxes (lynx pardinus), whereas similar-sized eurasian badgers (meles meles) were not. therefore, we predicted that fox would avoid lynx predation risk by niche segregation whereas we did not expect such a segregation between badger and lynx. as an approach for evaluating our predictions, we compared their diet, activity patterns, and habitat use in an area of doñana where the ... | 1999 | 28307883 |
| "reversed" intraguild predation: red fox cubs killed by pine marten. | camera traps deployed at a badger meles meles set in mixed pine forest in north-eastern poland recorded interspecific killing of red fox vulpes vulpes cubs by pine marten martes martes. the vixen and her cubs settled in the set at the beginning of may 2013, and it was abandoned by the badgers shortly afterwards. five fox cubs were recorded playing in front of the den each night. ten days after the first recording of the foxes, a pine marten was filmed at the set; it arrived in the morning, made ... | 2014 | 24954928 |
| reproductive biology including evidence for superfetation in the european badger meles meles (carnivora: mustelidae). | the reproductive biology of the european badger (meles meles) is of wide interest because it is one of the few mammal species that show delayed implantation and one of only five which are suggested to show superfetation as a reproductive strategy. this study aimed to describe the reproductive biology of female irish badgers with a view to increasing our understanding of the process of delayed implantation and superfetation. we carried out a detailed histological examination of the reproductive t ... | 2015 | 26465324 |
| high prevalence of trypanosomes in european badgers detected using its-pcr. | wildlife can be important sources and reservoirs for pathogens. trypanosome infections are common in many mammalian species, and are pathogenic in some. molecular detection tools were used to measure trypanosome prevalence in a well-studied population of wild european badgers (meles meles). | 2015 | 26396074 |
| winter is coming: seasonal variation in resting metabolic rate of the european badger (meles meles). | resting metabolic rate (rmr) is a measure of the minimum energy requirements of an animal at rest, and can give an indication of the costs of somatic maintenance. we measured rmr of free-ranging european badgers (meles meles) to determine whether differences were related to sex, age and season. badgers were captured in live-traps and placed individually within a metabolic chamber maintained at 20 ± 1°c. resting metabolic rate was determined using an open-circuit respirometry system. season was s ... | 2015 | 26352150 |
| scavenger species-typical alteration to bone: using bite mark dimensions to identify scavengers. | scavenger-induced alteration to bone occurs while scavengers access soft tissue and during the scattering and re-scavenging of skeletal remains. using bite mark, dimensional data to assist in the more accurate identification of a scavenger can improve interpretations of trauma and enhance search and recovery methods. this study analyzed bite marks produced on both dry and fresh surface deposited remains by wild and captive red fox (vulpes vulpes) and eurasian badger (meles meles), as well as dom ... | 2015 | 26249734 |
| tetragomphius melis infection of the pancreas in japanese badger (meles meles anakuma). | | 2015 | 26823028 |
| will trespassers be prosecuted or assessed according to their merits? a consilient interpretation of territoriality in a group-living carnivore, the european badger (meles meles). | socio-spatial interactions of carnivores have traditionally been described using the vocabulary of territoriality and aggression, with scent marks interpreted as 'scent fences'. here, we investigate the role of olfactory signals in assumed territorial marking of group-living solitary foragers using european badgers meles meles as a model. we presented anal gland secretions (n = 351) from known individuals to identifiable recipients (n = 187), to assess response-variation according to familiarity ... | 2015 | 26147753 |
| phylogeographic sympatry and isolation of the eurasian badgers (meles, mustelidae, carnivora): implications for an alternative analysis using maternally as well as paternally inherited genes. | in the present study, to further understand the phylogenetic relationships among the eurasian badgers (meles, mustelidae, carnivora), which are distributed widely in the palearctic, partial sequences of the mitochondrial dna (mtdna) control region (539-545 base-pairs) as a maternal genetic marker, and the sex-determining region on the y-chromosome gene (sry: 1052-1058 base-pairs), as a paternal genetic marker, were examined. the present study revealed ten sry haplotypes from 47 males of 112 indi ... | 2011 | 21466348 |
| light and scanning electron microscopic study on the tongue and lingual papillae of the japanese badgers, meles meles anakuma. | we observed the three-dimensional structures of the external surface and connective tissue cores (ctcs), after exfoliation of the epithelium of the lingual papillae (filiform, fungiform and foliate papillae) of the japanese badgers (meles meles anakuma) using scanning electron microscopy and conventional light microscopy. macroscopically, the tongue was elongated anterior-posteriorly and the apex rounded. numerous filiform papillae and fungiform papillae were distributed all over the tongue exce ... | 2009 | 19408581 |
| mitochondrial dna reveals a strong phylogeographic structure in the badger across eurasia. | the badger, meles meles, is a widely distributed mustelid in eurasia and shows large geographic variability in morphological characters whose evolutionary significance is unclear and needs to be contrasted with molecular data. we sequenced 512 bp of the mitochondrial dna control region in 115 eurasian badgers from 21 countries in order to test for the existence of structuring in their phylogeography, to describe the genetic relationships among their populations across its widespread geographic r ... | 2006 | 16599963 |
| bronchial ramification and lobular division of the lung of the japanese badger (meles meles anakuma). | the right lung of the japanese badger (meles meles anakuma) consists of the cranial, middle, caudal and accessory lobes. the left lung consists of the middle and caudal lobes. the japanese badger has four bronchiole systems, dorsal, lateral, ventral and medial, on each side. the cranial lobe is formed by the first bronchiole of the dorsal bronchiole system. the middle lobe is formed by the first bronchiole of the lateral bronchiole system. the accessory lobe is formed by the first bronchiole of ... | 1995 | 7492660 |
| the taxonomic status of badgers (mammalia, mustelidae) from southwest asia based on cranial morphometrics, with the redescription of meles canescens. | the eurasian badgers (meles spp.) are widespread in the palaearctic region, occurring from the british islands in the west to the japanese islands in the east, including the scandinavia, southwest asia and southern china. the morphometric variation in 30 cranial characters of 692 skulls of meles from across the palaearctic was here analyzed. this craniometric analysis revealed a significant difference between the european and asian badger phylogenetic lineages, which can be further split in two ... | 2013 | 25232583 |
| replacement of the european badger (meles meles l., 1758) by the asian badger (meles leucurus hodgson, 1847) at the boundary between europe and asia in the holocene epoch. | | 2016 | 20665161 |
| exclusions for resolving urban badger damage problems: outcomes and consequences. | increasing urbanisation and growth of many wild animal populations can result in a greater frequency of human-wildlife conflicts. however, traditional lethal methods of wildlife control are becoming less favoured than non-lethal approaches, particularly when problems involve charismatic species in urban areas. eurasian badgers (meles meles) excavate subterranean burrow systems (setts), which can become large and complex. larger setts within which breeding takes place and that are in constant use ... | 2016 | 27761352 |
| in situ adaptive response to climate and habitat quality variation: spatial and temporal variation in european badger (meles meles) body weight. | variation in climatic and habitat conditions can affect populations through a variety of mechanisms, and these relationships can act at different temporal and spatial scales. using post-mortem badger body weight records from 15 878 individuals captured across the republic of ireland (7224 setts across ca. 15 000 km(2) ; 2009-2012), we employed a hierarchical multilevel mixed model to evaluate the effects of climate (rainfall and temperature) and habitat quality (landscape suitability), while con ... | 2015 | 25846328 |
| resource availability affects individual niche variation and its consequences in group-living european badgers meles meles. | although intra-population variation in niches is a widespread phenomenon with important implications for ecology, evolution and management of a range of animal species, the causes and consequences of this variation remain poorly understood. we used stable isotope analysis to characterise foraging niches and to investigate the causes and consequences of individual niche variation in the european badger, a mustelid mammal that lives in territorial social groups, but forages alone. we found that th ... | 2015 | 25656581 |
| discovery of a polyomavirus in european badgers (meles meles) and the evolution of host range in the family polyomaviridae. | polyomaviruses infect a diverse range of mammalian and avian hosts, and are associated with a variety of symptoms. however, it is unknown whether the viruses are found in all mammalian families and the evolutionary history of the polyomaviruses is still unclear. here, we report the discovery of a novel polyomavirus in the european badger (meles meles), which to our knowledge represents the first polyomavirus to be characterized in the family mustelidae, and within a european carnivoran. although ... | 2015 | 25626684 |
| heterozygosity-fitness correlations in a wild mammal population: accounting for parental and environmental effects. | hfcs (heterozygosity-fitness correlations) measure the direct relationship between an individual's genetic diversity and fitness. the effects of parental heterozygosity and the environment on hfcs are currently under-researched. we investigated these in a high-density u.k. population of european badgers (meles meles), using a multimodel capture-mark-recapture framework and 35 microsatellite loci. we detected interannual variation in first-year, but not adult, survival probability. adult females ... | 2014 | 25360289 |
| closed-population capture-recapture modeling of samples drawn one at a time. | motivated by field sampling of dna fragments, we describe a general model for capture-recapture modeling of samples drawn one at a time in continuous-time. our model is based on poisson sampling where the sampling time may be unobserved. we show that previously described models correspond to partial likelihoods from our poisson model and their use may be justified through arguments concerning s- and bayes-ancillarity of discarded information. we demonstrate a further link to continuous-time capt ... | 2014 | 25311362 |
| neighbouring-group composition and within-group relatedness drive extra-group paternity rate in the european badger (meles meles). | extra-group paternity (egp) occurs commonly among group-living mammals and plays an important role in mating systems and the dynamics of sexual selection; however, socio-ecological and genetic correlates of egp have been underexplored. we use 23 years of demographic and genetic data from a high-density european badger (meles meles) population, to investigate the relationship between the rate of egp in litters and mate availability, mate incompatibility and mate quality (heterozygosity). relatedn ... | 2014 | 25234113 |
| pathogen burden, co-infection and major histocompatibility complex variability in the european badger (meles meles). | pathogen-mediated selection is thought to maintain the extreme diversity in the major histocompatibility complex (mhc) genes, operating through the heterozygote advantage, rare-allele advantage and fluctuating selection mechanisms. heterozygote advantage (i.e. recognizing and binding a wider range of antigens than homozygotes) is expected to be more detectable when multiple pathogens are considered simultaneously. here, we test whether mhc diversity in a wild population of european badgers (mele ... | 2014 | 25211523 |
| individual foraging specialisation in a social mammal: the european badger (meles meles). | individual specialisation has been identified in an increasing number of animal species and populations. however, in some groups, such as terrestrial mammals, it is difficult to disentangle individual niche variation from spatial variation in resource availability. in the present study, we investigate individual variation in the foraging niche of the european badger (meles meles), a social carnivore that lives in a shared group territory, but forages predominantly alone. using stable isotope ana ... | 2014 | 25037464 |
| revisiting the phylogeography and demography of european badgers (meles meles) based on broad sampling, multiple markers and simulations. | although the phylogeography of european mammals has been extensively investigated since the 1990s, many studies were limited in terms of sampling distribution, the number of molecular markers used and the analytical techniques employed, frequently leading to incomplete postglacial recolonisation scenarios. the broad-scale genetic structure of the european badger (meles meles) is of interest as it may result from historic restriction to glacial refugia and/or recent anthropogenic impact. however, ... | 2014 | 24781805 |
| climate and the individual: inter-annual variation in the autumnal activity of the european badger (meles meles). | we establish intra-individual and inter-annual variability in european badger (meles meles) autumnal nightly activity in relation to fine-scale climatic variables, using tri-axial accelerometry. this contributes further to understanding of causality in the established interaction between weather conditions and population dynamics in this species. modelling found that measures of daylight, rain/humidity, and soil temperature were the most supported predictors of activity, in both years studied. i ... | 2014 | 24465376 |
| a multi-metric approach to investigate the effects of weather conditions on the demographic of a terrestrial mammal, the european badger (meles meles). | models capturing the full effects of weather conditions on animal populations are scarce. here we decompose yearly temperature and rainfall into mean trends, yearly amplitude of change and residual variation, using daily records. we establish from multi-model inference procedures, based on 1125 life histories (from 1987 to 2008), that european badger (meles meles) annual mortality and recruitment rates respond to changes in mean trends and to variability in proximate weather components. variatio ... | 2013 | 23874517 |
| trophic enrichment factors for blood serum in the european badger (meles meles). | ecologists undertaking stable isotopic analyses of animal diets require trophic enrichment factors (tefs) for the specific animal tissues that they are studying. such basic data are available for a small number of species, so values from trophically or phylogenetically similar species are often substituted for missing values. by feeding a controlled diet to captive european badgers (meles meles) we determined tefs for carbon and nitrogen in blood serum. tefs for nitrogen and carbon in blood seru ... | 2012 | 23300863 |
| population estimation and trappability of the european badger (meles meles): implications for tuberculosis management. | estimates of population size and trappability inform vaccine efficacy modelling and are required for adaptive management during prolonged wildlife vaccination campaigns. we present an analysis of mark-recapture data from a badger vaccine (bacille calmette-guérin) study in ireland. this study is the largest scale (755 km(2)) mark-recapture study ever undertaken with this species. the study area was divided into three approximately equal-sized zones, each with similar survey and capture effort. a ... | 2012 | 23227211 |
| molecular characterization of the microbial communities in the subcaudal gland secretion of the european badger (meles meles). | many mammals possess specialized scent glands, which convey information about the marking individual. as the chemical profile of scent marks is likely to be affected by bacteria metabolizing the primary gland products, the variation in bacterial communities between different individuals has been proposed to underpin olfactory communication. however, few studies have investigated the dependency of microbiota residing in the scent organs on the host's individual-specific parameters. here, we used ... | 2012 | 22530962 |
| molecular characterisation of a novel cassava associated circular ssdna virus. | the application of sequence non-specific rolling circle amplification of circular single stranded (ss) dna molecules to viral metagenomics has facilitated the discovery in various ecosystems of what is probably a diverse array of novel ssdna viruses. here we describe a putative novel ssdna virus (at a genome level), cassava associated circular dna virus (cascv), isolated from cassava leaf samples infected with the fungi collectotrichum and plectosphaerella. cascv has a circular ambisense genome ... | 2012 | 22465471 |
| mhc class ii-assortative mate choice in european badgers (meles meles). | the major histocompatibility complex (mhc) plays a crucial role in the immune system, and in some species, it is a target by which individuals choose mates to optimize the fitness of their offspring, potentially mediated by olfactory cues. under the genetic compatibility hypothesis, individuals are predicted to choose mates with compatible mhc alleles, to increase the fitness of their offspring. studies of mhc-based mate choice in wild mammals are under-represented currently, and few investigate ... | 2015 | 25913367 |
| the use and assessment of ketamine-medetomidine-butorphanol combinations for field anaesthesia in wild european badgers (meles meles). | to evaluate the effectiveness of four ketamine-based anaesthetics in badgers using a quantitative anaesthesia assessment technique. | 2005 | 16297047 |
| high rectal temperature indicates an increased risk of unexpected recovery in anaesthetized badgers. | to identify factors associated with sudden early recovery (ser) from anaesthesia in badgers (meles meles). | 2005 | 15663739 |
| preliminary comparison of four anaesthetic techniques in badgers (meles meles). | to investigate the use of four ketamine-based anaesthetic combinations in wild badgers. | 2005 | 15663738 |
| mating system of the eurasian badger, meles meles, in a high density population. | badgers are facultatively social, forming large groups at high density. group-living appears to have high reproductive costs for females, and may lead to increased levels of inbreeding. the extent of female competition for reproduction has been estimated from field data, but knowledge of male reproductive success and the extent of extra-group paternity remains limited. combining field data with genetic data (16 microsatellite loci), we studied the mating system of 10 badger social groups across ... | 2005 | 15643970 |
| first report of cheyletiella parasitovorax infestation in the eurasian badger (meles meles). | | 2004 | 15357381 |
| sequence variation and gene duplication at the mhc drb loci of the spotted seal phoca largha. | the major histocompatibility complex (mhc) is one of the most important genetic systems associated with resistance to infectious diseases in vertebrates. the spotted seal (phoca largha) is one of the most endangered species in china. in this study, we present the first step in the molecular characterization of a drb-like locus in the spotted seal by analyzing the nucleotide sequence of the polymorphic exon 2 segments, a 288-nucleotide sequence. by examining the segment from a group of 41 individ ... | 2015 | 25867351 |
| parvovirus enteritis in eurasian badgers (meles meles). | | 2012 | 22447563 |
| mhc class ii genes in the european badger (meles meles): characterization, patterns of variation, and transcription analysis. | the major histocompatibility complex (mhc) comprises many genes, some of which are polymorphic with numerous alleles. sequence variation among alleles is most pronounced in exon 2 of the class ii genes, which encodes the α1 and β1 domains that form the antigen-binding site (abs) for the presentation of peptides. the mhc thus plays an important role in pathogen defense. european badgers (meles meles) are a good species in which to study the mhc, as they harbor a variety of pathogens. we present t ... | 2012 | 22038175 |
| avoiding verisimilitude when modelling ecological responses to climate change: the influence of weather conditions on trapping efficiency in european badgers (meles meles). | the signal for climate change effects can be abstruse; consequently, interpretations of evidence must avoid verisimilitude, or else misattribution of causality could compromise policy decisions. examining climatic effects on wild animal population dynamics requires ability to trap, observe or photograph and to recapture study individuals consistently. in this regard, we use 19 years of data (1994-2012), detailing the life histories on 1179 individual european badgers over 3288 (re-) trapping eve ... | 2015 | 25857625 |
| seasonal and inter-individual variation in testosterone levels in badgers meles meles: evidence for the existence of two endocrinological phenotypes. | elevated testosterone levels can lower condition and increase parasites. we analysed testosterone in 84 blood samples of wild european badgers meles meles collected at regular intervals (winter = mating season; spring = end of mating season; summer = minor mating peak; autumn = reproductive quiescence), and related variation to body condition, subcaudal gland secretion, parasite burden, and bite wounding. all males showed elevated levels in winter and low levels in autumn. in neither season did ... | 2009 | 19669151 |
| clinical and laboratory findings in a eurasian badger (meles meles) with pituitary dwarfism. | | 2009 | 19287031 |
| incorporating genotype uncertainty into mark-recapture-type models for estimating abundance using dna samples. | sampling dna noninvasively has advantages for identifying animals for uses such as mark-recapture modeling that require unique identification of animals in samples. although it is possible to generate large amounts of data from noninvasive sources of dna, a challenge is overcoming genotyping errors that can lead to incorrect identification of individuals. a major source of error is allelic dropout, which is failure of dna amplification at one or more loci. this has the effect of heterozygous ind ... | 2009 | 19173702 |
| [the microclimate of an unoccupied wintering sett of the badger, meles meles (carnivora: mustelidae), in the darwin state nature reserve, vologda region]. | data on the microclimate (air temperature and humidity) within an unoccupied badger sett in the darwin reserve (the vologda region) between september 2005 and may 2006 have been analyzed in relation to changes in the temperature and humidity of the ground air layer and soil. a positive correlation has been revealed between the temperature regime of the soil and air temperature within the sett. after the establishment of snow cover, air and soil temperatures within the sett vary slightly and bare ... | 2016 | 18956735 |
| low genetic variability, female-biased dispersal and high movement rates in an urban population of eurasian badgers meles meles. | 1. urban and rural populations of animals can differ in their behaviour, both in order to meet their ecological requirements and due to the constraints imposed by different environments. the study of urban populations can therefore offer useful insights into the behavioural flexibility of a species as a whole, as well as indicating how the species in question adapts to a specifically urban environment. 2. the genetic structure of a population can provide information about social structure and mo ... | 2008 | 18924251 |
| haematological and biochemical measurements in a population of wild eurasian badgers (meles meles). | blood samples were collected from a high density population of wild badgers in woodchester park, gloucestershire, england, where animals were routinely captured and examined as part of a long-term ecological study, and a selection of haematological and biochemical variables were measured. the badger cubs had lower red blood cell counts and haemoglobin concentrations than the adults, consistent with physiological anaemia, and lower serum protein concentrations. growth of muscle and active bone fo ... | 2008 | 18441351 |
| experimental evidence of competitive release in sympatric carnivores. | changes in the relative abundance of sympatric carnivores can have far-reaching ecological consequences, including the precipitation of trophic cascades and species declines. while such observations are compelling, experimental evaluations of interactions among carnivores remain scarce and are both logistically and ethically challenging. carnivores are nonetheless a particular focus of management practices owing to their roles as predators of livestock and as vectors and reservoirs of zoonotic d ... | 2008 | 18089523 |
| traffic mortality and the role of minor roads. | roads have large impacts on wildlife, as they form one of the principal causes of mortality, and disturbance and fragmentation of habitat. these impacts are mainly studied and mitigated on major roads. it is, however, a widespread misconception that most animals are killed on major roads. in this paper, we argue that minor roads have a larger impact on wildlife with respect to habitat destruction, noise load and traffic mortality. we use data on traffic related deaths in badgers (meles meles) in ... | 2009 | 18079047 |
| polygynandry, extra-group paternity and multiple-paternity litters in european badger (meles meles) social groups. | the costs and benefits of natal philopatry are central to the formation and maintenance of social groups. badger groups, thought to form passively according to the resource dispersion hypothesis (rdh), are maintained through natal philopatry and delayed dispersal; however, there is minimal evidence for the functional benefits of such grouping. we assigned parentage to 630 badger cubs from a high-density population in wytham woods, oxford, born between 1988 and 2005. our methodological approach w ... | 2007 | 17971085 |
| high incidence of nonslippage mechanisms generating variability and complexity in eurasian badger microsatellites. | the use of microsatellites in population genetics is hindered by a lack of understanding of the pattern and origin of mutations, the need to develop more specific and better computational models, and a paucity of information about specific taxa and loci. we analyzed between 4 and 10 allele sequences from 10 different microsatellites in eurasian badgers in order to determine the compliance of the sequences with stepwise mutation models and the origin of that variability which cannot be detected t ... | 2008 | 17728273 |
| evaluation of the anaesthetic effects of combinations of ketamine, medetomidine, romifidine and butorphanol in european badgers (meles meles). | to evaluate the effects of three anaesthetic combinations in adult european badgers (meles meles). | 2007 | 17565574 |
| long-lasting systemic bait markers for eurasian badgers. | this study was carried out to assess whether rhodamine b, ethyl-iophenoxic acid (etipa), and propyl-iophenoxic acid (pripa) can be used as long-lasting systemic bait markers for free-living badgers (meles meles). between june and november 2003, these chemicals were incorporated into bait distributed around badger setts. serum, hair, and whiskers from individually marked badgers were collected in the following 4 to 24 wk. rhodamine b was detectable as fluorescent bands up to 24 wk after ingestion ... | 2006 | 17255463 |
| female receptivity, embryonic diapause, and superfetation in the european badger (meles meles): implications for the reproductive tactics of males and females. | the european badger meles meles is thought to mate throughout the year with two mating peaks occurring in late winter/spring and summer/autumn. after mating, fertilized ova enter embryonic diapause (delayed implantation) at the blastocyst stage, which lasts up to eleven months. even if mating is successful, however, the estrous cycle may continue during embryonic diapause, which suggests that female badgers are capable of superfetation (conception during pregnancy). this may increase female fitn ... | 2006 | 16602273 |
| isolation by distance and gene flow in the eurasian badger (meles meles) at both a local and broad scale. | eurasian badgers, meles meles, have been shown to possess limited genetic population structure within europe; however, field studies have detected high levels of philopatry, which are expected to increase population structure. population structure will be a consequence of both contemporary dispersal and historical processes, each of which is expected to be evident at a different scale. therefore, to gain a greater understanding of gene flow in the badger, we examined microsatellite diversity bot ... | 2006 | 16448407 |
| what do european badgers (meles meles) know about the spatial organisation of neighbouring groups? | european badgers (meles meles) live in groups. although they can distinguish between a member of their own group, a member of a neighbouring group and a stranger, their ability to understand that neighbouring individuals belong to different groups inhabiting different places, and possibly to build up some representation of the spatial organisation of neighbouring groups remains to be shown. in this study, we conducted a pilot homing experiment to test such ability. radio-collared badgers were di ... | 2006 | 16443332 |
| age-specific breeding success in a wild mammalian population: selection, constraint, restraint and senescence. | the selection, constraint, restraint and senescence hypotheses predict how breeding success should vary with age. the selection hypothesis predicts between-individual variation arising from quality differences; the other hypotheses predict within-individual variation due to differing skills or physiological condition (constraint), residual reproductive lifespan (restraint), or somatic and reproductive investment (senescence). studies tend to focus on either the initial increase in breeding succe ... | 2011 | 21714821 |
| dangerous liaisons disperse the mediterranean dwarf palm: fleshy-pulp defensive role against seed predators. | we chose the interaction between the mediterranean dwarf palm (chamaerops humilis) and its major seed disperser, the eurasian badger (meles meles), to evaluate the hypothesis that endozoochory is characterized by a mixture of conflicting and overlapping interests, with the capacity of being positive or negative for plant fitness. for instance, because of the potential protective role against invertebrate seed predators of c. humilis pulp, we expected that badger-ingested diaspores (i.e., seeds w ... | 2011 | 21618910 |
| the concept of superfetation: a critical review on a 'myth' in mammalian reproduction. | superfetation is understood as another conception during an already ongoing pregnancy. this implies the existence of young of different developmental stages within the female reproductive tract during certain periods of pregnancy. nevertheless, a clear definition of the term as well as distinct criteria to identify the occurrence of superfetation in a species is missing. the variable anatomy of mammalian reproductive tracts seems to make the occurrence of superfetation more or less likely but im ... | 2011 | 20394608 |
| using isolation-by-distance-based approaches to assess the barrier effect of linear landscape elements on badger (meles meles) dispersal. | as the european badger (meles meles) can be of conservation or management concern, it is important to have a good understanding of the species' dispersal ability. in particular, knowledge of landscape elements that affect dispersal can contribute to devising effective management strategies. however, the standard approach of using bayesian clustering methods to correlate genetic discontinuities with landscape elements cannot easily be applied to this problem, as badger populations are often chara ... | 2010 | 20345687 |
| fitness measures in selection analyses: sensitivity to the overall number of offspring produced in a lifetime. | age at first (alpha) and last (omega) breeding are important life-history traits; however, the direction and strength of selection detected on traits may vary depending on the fitness measure used. we provide the first estimates of lifetime breeding success (lbs) and lambda(ind) (the population growth rate of an individual) of european badgers meles meles, by genotyping 915 individuals, sampled over 18 years, for 22 microsatellites. males are slightly larger than females, and the opportunity for ... | 2010 | 20002246 |
| long-term resource variation and group size: a large-sample field test of the resource dispersion hypothesis. | the resource dispersion hypothesis (rdh) proposes a mechanism for the passive formation of social groups where resources are dispersed, even in the absence of any benefits of group living per se. despite supportive modelling, it lacks empirical testing. the rdh predicts that, rather than territory size (ts) increasing monotonically with group size (gs) to account for increasing metabolic needs, ts is constrained by the dispersion of resource patches, whereas gs is independently limited by their ... | 2001 | 11511326 |
| bayesian inference for a random tessellation process. | this article describes an inhomogeneous poisson point process in the plane with an intensity function based on a dirichlet tessellation process and a method for using observations on the point process to make fully bayesian inferences about the underlying tessellation. the method is implemented using a markov chain monte carlo approach. an application to modeling the territories of clans of badgers, meles meles, is described. | 2001 | 11414576 |
| microsatellite primers from the eurasian badger, meles meles. | | 2000 | 11123660 |
| surgical implantation of radiotelemetry transmitters in european badgers (meles meles). | the suitabilities of two subcutaneous and two intraabdominal surgical approaches were evaluated for implantation of telemetry transmitters in the european badger (meles meles). two transmitters, one for heart rate and the other for body temperature, were needed in each badger. five wild badgers were trapped, housed in an outdoor pen, anesthetized, and surgically implanted with one or two transmitters per procedure. a total of 16 transmitters were implanted, 10 subcutaneously and six intraabdomin ... | 2000 | 10884124 |
| individual differences in den maintenance effort in a communally dwelling mammal: the eurasian badger. | group living has potential costs in terms of relative fitness for individuals that invest effort in activities providing general benefit, if other competing individuals exploit those activities and accrue similar benefits at no cost. we examined the roles of individual badgers, meles meles, in the den maintenance activities of digging and bedding collection at their communal setts. twenty per cent of adults and yearlings were responsible for 60-90% of the observed digging and bedding collection ... | 1999 | 10053082 |
| spatial and temporal trends in levels of trace metals and pcbs in the european badger meles meles (l., 1758) in the netherlands: implications for reproduction. | in the netherlands the european badger meles meles is presently recovering from earlier declines in numbers. the rate of recovery, however, varies between regions. it is argued that the effects of traffic accidents cannot account for the differences in recovery between regions. it is further shown that the population recovery is relatively poor in areas with high cadmium and zinc concentrations, such as near rivers. it is suggested that cadmium has an adverse effect on reproduction and that this ... | 1998 | 9842755 |
| the n-player war of attrition and territorial groups. | the choices made by juveniles, in territorial species, between dispersing and remaining in the natal territory, can be modelled as a simple multi-player evolutionary game, related to the well-known war of attrition [maynard smith, j. (1974) j. theor. biol. 47, 209-221; haigh j. & cannings, c. (1989) acta applicandae mathematicae 14, 59-74]. the game is shown to have a unique evolutionarily stable strategy, involving a random choice between dispersing early in the game and staying indefinitely. a ... | 1997 | 9405135 |
| local feeding specialization by badgers (meles meles) in a mediterranean environment. | a case of local feeding specialization in the european badger (meles meles), a carnivore species with morphological, physiological and behavioural traits proper to a trophic generalist, is described. for the first time, we report a mammalian species, the european rabbit (oryctolagus cuniculus), as the preferred prey of badgers. secondary prey are consumed according to their availability, compensating for temporal fluctuations in the abundance of rabbit kittens. we discuss how both predator (litt ... | 1995 | 28306974 |
| habitat, food availability and group territoriality in the european badger, meles meles. | since european badgers (meles meles l.) form non-cooperative groups in parts of their geographic range, but are solitary elsewhere, their social systems have been at the centre of a debate about the evolution of group living in the carnivora. in a recent review of models of non-cooperative sociality, woodroffe and macdonald (1993) presented evidence in favour of two hypotheses, which suggested that badger groups might form because either the distribution of blocks of foodrich habitat, or the eco ... | 1993 | 28313297 |
| to breed or not to breed: an analysis of the social and density-dependent constraints on the fecundity of female badgers (meles meles). | data from post-mortem examinations, population density estimates and long term capture-mark-recapture studies have been combined to look at the pattern of reproductive behaviour and the social factors leading to reproductive failure in badgers in britain. the results are used to evaluate whether the hypothesis that the defence of oestrous females (as opposed to defence of food resources) best explains territorial behaviour and the social organization of badgers. badgers in britain have two peaks ... | 1992 | 1362817 |
| placental iron transfer regulation in the haemophagous region of the badger placenta: ultrastructural localization of ferritin in trophoblast and endothelial cells. | the haemophagous region of the badger (meles meles l.) placenta is involved in iron transfer, and maternal erythrocytes are the only source of iron for the fetus. this ultrastructural study provides morphological evidence of placental ferritin iron storage intervening if haem-iron uptake exceeds fetal needs. such placental ferritin is assumed to play an active role in iron transfer regulation. in this paper we demonstrate that this regulatory process of iron transfer by storage in placental ferr ... | 1992 | 1536450 |
| experimental comparison of ketamine with a combination of ketamine, butorphanol and medetomidine for general anaesthesia of the eurasian badger (meles meles l.). | the refinement of anaesthetic regimes is central to improving the welfare of captured wildlife. the eurasian badger (meles meles) has been the subject of an intensive long-term ecological and epidemiological study at woodchester park, gloucestershire, england. during routine trapping operations (june 21st, 2000-january 23rd, 2001) an experimental trial was conducted on 89 badgers to compare the physiological effects of anaesthesia using ketamine hydrochloride alone, and in conjunction with medet ... | 2004 | 14975394 |
| leukocyte coping capacity: a novel technique for measuring the stress response in vertebrates. | methods used to quantify the stress response in animals are vital tools in many areas of biology. here we describe a new method of measuring the stress response, which provides rapid results and can be used in the field or laboratory. after a stressful event, we measure the capacity of circulating leukocytes to produce a respiratory burst in vitro in response to challenge by phorbol myristate acetate (pma). during the respiratory burst leukocytes produce oxygen free radicals, and the level of pr ... | 2003 | 12861342 |
| group formation games with reappraisal. | the formation of a social group, such as the group of individuals sharing a territory, depends on the interaction between choices made by individuals to stay or disperse. the process can be modelled as a multi-player variant of the well-known war of attrition in evolutionary game theory, as shown by blackwell (1997; j. theor. biol.189, 175-181). in this paper, we extend the set of strategies defined there by allowing reappraisal during the game. we give a formal analysis of the evolutionarily st ... | 2002 | 12202109 |
| gas-chromatographic analyses of the subcaudal gland secretion of the european badger (meles meles) part ii: time-related variation in the individual-specific composition. | individuality in body odors has been described in a variety of species, but studies on time-related variation in individual scent are scarce. here, we use gc-ms to investigate how chemical composition of subcaudal gland secretions of european badgers (meles meles) varies over days, seasons, and from year to year, and how secretions change with the length of time for which they are exposed to the environment. samples were divided into subsamples--one was frozen immediately and the remaining ones ... | 2002 | 11868679 |
| gas-chromatographic analyses of the subcaudal gland secretion of the european badger (meles meles) part i: chemical differences related to individual parameters. | in many species, chemical signals are important in the context of intraspecific communication. european badgers (meles meles) use the secretion of their subcaudal gland to mark both the environment and conspecifics. in this paper, we investigated the chemical composition of subcaudal gland secretions and how it varies among individuals according to group membership, season, sex, age, body condition, and reproductive status. we analyzed 66 samples by gas chromatography using a mass-spectrometer a ... | 2002 | 11868678 |
| [annual cycle of plasma testosterone and thyroxine in the european badger (meles meles l.)]. | in the male european badger there are important variations in the plasma testosterone and thyroxine levels during the annual cycle. during the summer, plasma testosterone concentrations are low while plasma thyroxine rises to a very high level. in winter, when the thyroid activity is minimal, testicular activity increases. from february to may, the plasma testosterone remains at a high level, and then, after a sudden fall, a second peak occurs in june at which time the concentration of thyroxine ... | 1977 | 406085 |
| [morphogenesis and hormonogenesis in vitro of granulosa cells of the european badger meles meles l]. | granulosa cells harvested from follicles of badger during inactive luteal phaseluteinize in vitro. the results demonstrate that the serum's origin influence progesteron production of badger's granulosa cells in culture. lh appears equally to be stimulating. | 1977 | 404074 |
| the immobilization of the badger (meles meles). | | 2003 | 990891 |
| [demonstration of a seasonal thyroid cycle in the male badger (meles meles l) using iodine 131 fixation]. | a seasonal cycle of thyroid activity has been determined in male adult badger by the thyroid 131i uptake. this cycle is characterized by maximal activity in autumn and minimal activity in winter and at the beginning of summer. there is no difference between animals recently caught and those living in captivity. | 1975 | 816499 |
| [endocrine activity of testis in european badger (meles meles l.)]. | | 1975 | 1211954 |
| dental caries in the european badger (meles meles l). | | 1974 | 4446310 |
| some observations on the sexual activities of badgers (meles meles) in yorkshire in the months december to april. | | 1974 | 4468892 |
| [sexual cycle of the male badger (meles meles l.)]. | | 1972 | 4667908 |
| [dynamics of blastocyst migration in the european badger (meles meles l.)]. | | 1971 | 5003753 |
| [early experimental ovo-implantation in the european badger (meles meles l.) during the blastocyst latency period]. | | 1971 | 5003026 |
| [electrophysiologic study of the uterine musculature of the european badger (meles meles l.)]. | | 1969 | 4983266 |
| [weight changes of the testis of the european badger (meles meles l.) during the annual genital cycle]. | | 1967 | 4229394 |
| [results of hemicastration in the male european badger (meles meles l.)]. | | 1967 | 4963849 |
| [experimental test of luteal reactivation in the european badger (meles meles l.)]. | | 1967 | 4962223 |
| [some ultrastructural aspects of the luteal cell in the badger (meles meles l.)]. | | 1967 | 4963472 |
| [experimental change of the circadian rhythm in the european badger, meles meles l]. | | 1967 | 4963829 |