The “corpse bride” strikes again: first report of the Davian behaviour in the Eurasian badger

We reported the first record of Davian behaviour (necrophilia) in the Eurasian badger Meles meles (L., 1758) in northern Italy. A male badger was observed in a camera-trap survey courting and trying to copulate with a probably road-killed female, in February. The dead female was a sexually mature, adult individual; the male was probably a young mature individual. Social behaviour of this carnivore may have evolved to guarantee the access to females only to the dominant male. Usually, female badgers passively receive mating by excited males. This behaviour may have enticed the young male to start courtship and copulation with the road-killed female.

Investigating the Role of the Eurasian Badger (Meles meles) in the Nationwide Distribution of the Western European Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) in England

Biodiversity is declining globally, which calls for effective conservation measures. It is, therefore, important to investigate the drivers behind species presence at large spatial scales. The Western European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) is one of the species facing declines in parts of its range. Yet, drivers of Western European hedgehog distribution at large spatial scales remain largely unknown. At local scales, the Eurasian badger (Meles meles), an intraguild predator of the Western European hedgehog, can affect both the abundance and the distribution of the latter. However, the Western European hedgehog and the Eurasian badger have shown to be able to co-exist at a landscape scale. We investigated whether the Eurasian badger may play a role in the likelihood of the presence of the Western European hedgehog throughout England by using two nationwide citizen science surveys. Although habitat-related factors explained more variation in the likelihood of Western European hedgehog presence, our results suggest that Eurasian badger presence negatively impacts the likelihood of Western European hedgehog presence. Intraguild predation may, therefore, be influencing the nationwide distribution of hedgehogs in England, and further research is needed about how changes in badger densities and intensifying agricultural practices that remove shelters like hedgerows may influence hedgehog presence.

First report of papillomatosis due to papillomavirus in a Eurasian badger (Meles meles)

A live Eurasian badger (Meles meles) was admitted to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, West Hatch, Somerset, on August 10, 2018. It had been found in a local garden entangled in electric fencing. Examination of the badger under anaesthesia revealed a small number of papillomatous lesions on the right cheek and samples of the lesions were submitted to Animal and Plant Health Agency. Transmission electron microscopy analysis of the lesion material confirmed the presence of a papillomavirus and further histological examination of tissue samples from the lesion revealed features consistent with a finding of papillomatosis. Here we report the first diagnosis of papillomatosis due to a papillomavirus in Eurasian badgers, another infectious agent detected in this species.