 |
|
|
Foods
 Badgers
are omnivorous and will eat a wide variety of foods. As the chart shows, the
main element of their diet is the humble earthworm. Note that badgers will also
eat insects, voles, mice, carrion, young rabbits, wasps nests, fruit, funghi and
some cereals. Cereals are usually taken only during periods of drought when the
ground is hard and more preferred morsels (like earthworms) are hard to find.
Many of Lancashire badgers avail themselves of human hospitality and will visit
for titbits put out for them. Dog- or cat-food is ideal. They will eat most
leftovers, though if you are lucky enough to be visited regularly by badgers you
should take care to avoid putting out large quantities of processed foods such
as cake (which is just as bad for badgers as it is for humans). It may also be
wise to avoid leaving out things such as the remains of cooked poultry carcases;
although badgers, who love to strip the remaining meat and get at the marrow,
will not be harmed by the spiky cooked bones, domestic pets may try to take a
share and in their case brittle cooked bones can cause problems. Some
badger-watchers pile stones over such treats to deter domestic pets. Rather like
stirring peanuts into loose sand, the badgers spend time extricating the food
and may be watched for longer! |
|
|
|
