Badger taxidermy rug SKU 1427

Description of Species

Badger Animal Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the families Mustelidae, and Mephitidae. Badgers are a polyphyletic grouping, and are not a natural taxonomic grouping: badgers are united by possession of a squat body adapted for fossorial activity. All belong to the caniform suborder of carnivoran mammals. The 11 species of mustelid badgers are grouped in four subfamilies: Melinae, Helictidinae, Mellivorinae, and Taxideinae; the respective genera are Arctonyx, Meles, Melogale, Mellivora and Taxidea. Badgers include the most basal mustelids; the American badger is the most basal of all, followed successively by the ratel and Melinae; the estimated split dates are about 17.8, 15.5 and 14.8 million years ago, respectively. The two species of Asiatic stink badgers of the genus Mydaus were formerly included within Melinae, but more recent genetic evidence indicates these are actually members of the skunk family.