Meles anakuma
Silhouette: Margot Michaud · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The Japanese badger (Meles anakuma) is a species of carnivoran of the family Mustelidae, the weasels and their kin. Endemic to Japan, it is found on Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku, and Shōdoshima. It is assigned to the genus Meles with its close relatives, the European (M. meles), Caucasian (M. canescens) and Asian (M. leucurus) badgers. In Japan, it is called by the name anaguma (穴熊, 貛) meaning "hole-bear", or mujina (むじな, 狢, 貉).
At an average length of 79 cm (31 in) in males and 72 cm (28 in) in females, the Japanese badger is generally smaller and less sexually dimorphic (except in the size of the canine teeth) than its European counterparts. Tail length is between 14 and 20 cm (5.5 and 7.9 in). This species is similar or mildly larger than the Asian badger. Adults usually weigh from 3.8 to 11 kg (8.4 to 24.3 lb). The average weight of female Japanese badgers in one study from the Tokyo area was found to be 6.6 kg (15 lb) while that of males was 7.76 kg (17.1 lb). In Yamaguchi Prefecture, the average spring weight of female and male Japanese badgers was 4.4 kg (9.7 lb) and 5.7 kg (13 lb) respectively. The torso is blunt and limbs are short. The front feet are equipped... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kyoto City Zoo | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 2 | Noichi Zoological Park of the Kochi Prefecture | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 3 | Inokashira Park Zoo | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 4 | Yukyuzan Mini-Zoo | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 5 | Okinawa Zoo & Museum | 🇯🇵 Japan |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Japanese Badger sighting in Osaka on a given day, based on 30 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 5th most-seen of the 8 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May to July
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Japanese Badger in Osaka on a given day, against under 5% in January, March and August–October, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Japanese Badger sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
2nd of 3
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Japanese Badger sightings, Osaka ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Sendai (Japan, about 50%).
Same order: Carnivora
The closest relatives of the Japanese Badger that you can see in Osaka (order Carnivora, Carnivorans) are Common Raccoon (about 10%), Masked Palm Civet (about 10%) and Red Fox (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Japanese Badger is recorded against all the mammals logged in Osaka (30 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
