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Old 23-06-2009, 09:58 AM
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valleyforge valleyforge is offline
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Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Posts: 757
Re: Badger mating habits

Hi there Bumblebeebob,

Badgers tend to mate anytime between early February and the autumn.

However, most interestingly, badgers (like other mustelids such as pine martens, stoats and mink) use 'delayed implantation' as a reproductive strategy.

This basically means that although the animals can mate and fertilization can take place at almost any time of year, when the egg reaches the uterus, they intitially remain free instead of becoming embedded in the uterine wall.

Then, at an appropriate time (probably factored by availability of food supplies), implantation takes place followed by a normal gestation period ... which for badgers is about 7 weeks.

Mustelids are my favorites, by the way
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