Seasonality of reproduction in the European badger Meles meles in south‐west England

Abstract

The reproductive cycle of male and female badgers in the south-west of England was studied by post-mortem examination of 1875 badgers collected in 1973–80. The sample was obtained by several methods and showed that animals obtained as road casualties were not representative of the total population samples. Active spermatogenesis was present throughout the year, and in some males aged 8–9 months. A few females first ovulated as yearlings but most primiparous females were adults. Births were in general confined to the early part of the year, but ovulations and matings also occurred at other times. Almost all (97%) adult females possessed corpora lutea. Unimplanted blastocysts were found in females for 11 months of the year (over 80% of adult females in July-November). Implanted embryos were found in only 32% of adults in January and February: the number of blastocysts per female and the number of implanted embryos per female were not significantly different, indicating that sows implanted all blastocysts or none. Foetal mortality was 36% and post-natal losses were estimated at 42% from the proportion of lactating females.