Question from Anis 13/5/99: How to badgers adapt to where they live?
• Answer: Hi Anis, thanks for the question. There are many factors here, and I should say that I am not an expert in the subject, but I will try to give some key points. Badgers, as with all species, adapt to their environment as a process of evolution. This adaption continues to ‘amend’ itself as the environments of species undergo change – a race that can’t really be won as environments rarely remain static. One factor why badgers are nocturnal and live underground is said to be due to their persecution (the word ‘badgering’, ie. to badger someone, supports this view). Badgers do not fair well when sudden change to their environment occurs, as opposed to progressive over hundreds/thousands of years – which allows them time to adapt. Unfortunately, the modern age results in such sudden change. Huge areas of feeding habitat are lost to development, resulting in them having to feed from gardens and, a sorry site, from refuse bins. Many are killed on new roads that are built over their p
