The home ranges of both male and female badgers expands during the breeding season, indicating that males and females travel more extensively to find mates. Males have larger home ranges that are likely to overlap with the home ranges of several females.
Mating System: polygynandrous (promiscuous)
Mating occurs in late summer or early autumn but the development of the embryos is delayed until December or as late as February. After this period the embryos implant into their mother's uterine wall and resume development. So, although a female is technically pregnant for 7 months, embryonic development is done in a mere 6 weeks. Females give birth to 1 to 5 young, usually 3, in early spring. Females are able to mate when they are 4 months old, but males do not mate until the autumn of their second year. Most females mate after their first year.
Breeding interval: Badgers breed once per year.
Breeding season: Badgers mate in late summer or early autumn.
Range number of offspring: 1 to 5.
Average gestation period: 6 weeks.
Range weaning age: 2 to 3 months.
Range time to independence: 5 to 6 months.
Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 4 (low) months.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 12 months.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 16 months.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); viviparous ; delayed implantation
Average birth mass: 93.5 g.
Average gestation period: 41 days.
Average number of offspring: 3.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)
Sex: male: 441 days.
Female badgers prepare a grass-lined den in which to give birth. Badgers are born blind and helpless with a thin coat of fur. The eyes of the youngsters open at 4 to 6 weeks, and the young are nursed by their mother until they are 2 to 3 months old. Females give their young solid food before they are weaned and for a few weeks after they are weaned. Young may emerge from the den as early as 5 to 6 weeks old. The young badgers leave their mother when they are 5 to 6 months old.
Parental Investment: altricial ; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-independence (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female)