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94-544: Evidence of chamber blocks separate to the hall can be seen as far back as the 10th century, for example in the excavated manor at Sulgrave , Northamptonshire. Upper chambers are also depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry , such as in scene 3, where Harold Godwinson is feasting in his chamber at Bosham . After the Norman Conquest, plans of large houses became more integrated, and the great chamber assumed its standard place at

188-553: A carnivoran , the European badger is an omnivore , feeding on a wide variety of plant and animal foods, including earthworms , large insects , small mammals , carrion , cereals , and tubers . Litters of up to five cubs are produced in spring. The young are weaned a few months later, but usually remain within the family group. The European badger has been known to share its burrow with other species, such as rabbits , red foxes , and raccoon dogs , but it can be ferocious when provoked,

282-458: A 22–63 cm (8.7–24.8 in) wide base and a 14–32 cm (5.5–12.6 in) height. Three sleeping chambers occur in a family unit, some of which are open at both ends. The nesting chamber is located 5–10 m (16–33 ft) from the opening, and is situated more than a 1 m (3 ft 3 in) underground, in some cases 2.3 m (7 ft 7 in). Generally, the passages are 35–81 m (115–266 ft) long. The nesting chamber

376-503: A house; the Baptist one was demolished in 1976 and replaced with a house. The village has an unusual layout, with two streets (Magpie Road/Manor Road and Little Street) running parallel roughly and joined in a figure of eight. In three places there are traces of former medieval or post-medieval buildings. At the southwest corner of the village, south of the church, are traces of what may have been houses but are more likely to have been part of

470-597: A peak just before the winter. During the summer, European badgers commonly weigh 7–13 kg (15–29 lb) and 15–17 kg (33–37 lb) in autumn. The average weight of adults in the Białowieża Forest was 10.2 kg (22 lb) in spring but up to 19 kg (42 lb) in autumn, 46% higher than the spring low mass. In Woodchester Park , England , adults in spring weighed on average 7.9 kg (17 lb) and in fall average 9.5 kg (21 lb). In Doñana National Park , average weight of adult badgers

564-546: A piercing scream when alarmed or frightened. Like other badger species, European badgers are burrowing animals. However, the dens they construct (called setts) are the most complex, and are passed on from generation to generation. The number of exits in one sett can vary from a few to fifty. These setts can be vast, and can sometimes accommodate multiple families. When this happens, each family occupies its own passages and nesting chambers. Some setts may have exits which are only used in times of danger or play. A typical passage has

658-583: A prominent role in Colin Dann 's The Animals of Farthing Wood series as second in command to Fox. The badger is also the house symbol for Hufflepuff in the Harry Potter book series. The Redwall series also has the Badger Lords, who rule the extinct volcano fortress of Salamandastron and are renowned as fierce warriors. The children's television series Bodger & Badger was popular on CBBC during

752-403: A provoked badger was once reported as biting down on a man's wrist so severely that his hand had to be amputated. The dental formula is 3.1.3.1 3.1.4.2 . Scent glands are present below the base of the tail and on the anus . The subcaudal gland secretes a musky-smelling, cream-coloured fatty substance, while the anal glands secrete a stronger-smelling, yellowish-brown fluid. In winter,

846-462: A quantity of food equal to 3.4% of its body weight. Badgers typically eat prey on the spot, and rarely transport it to their setts. Surplus killing has been observed in chicken coops. Badgers prey on rabbits throughout the year, especially during times when their young are available. They catch young rabbits by locating their position in their nest by scent, then dig vertically downwards to them. In mountainous or hilly districts, where vegetable food

940-589: A reduction in rabies in Central Europe. In the UK, badgers experienced a 77% increase in numbers during the 1980s and 1990s. The badger population in Great Britain in 2012 is estimated to be 300,000. The European badger is found in deciduous and mixed woodlands, clearings, spinneys, pastureland and scrub, including Mediterranean maquis shrubland . It has adapted to life in suburban areas and urban parks, although not to

1034-453: A separate brewhouse built at the same time. The Hodges family had the west part of the original house demolished in about 1780. The Hodges sold the house in 1840, by which time it was a dilapidated farmhouse. In 1914 the house was bought by public subscription to celebrate a century of peace between the UK and USA since the War of 1812 . Under the direction of the architect Sir Reginald Blomfield

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1128-616: A stone floor, and its Tudor fireplace contains a salt cupboard carved with Lawrence Washington's initials. The house has a projecting two-storey southwest porch, over the doorway of which are set in plaster the royal arms of England and initials "ER" for Elizabeth Regina commemorating Elizabeth I , who acceded to the English throne in 1558. The doorway spandrels are decorated with the Washington family arms : two bars and three mullets or spur -rowels. In about 1673 Sulgrave Manor passed to

1222-536: A threat to adult badgers, though deaths caused by them are quantitatively rare as these predators are often limited in population due to human persecution and usually prefer easier, larger prey like ungulates , while badgers may fight viciously if aware of a predator and cornered without an escape route. They may live alongside red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ) in isolated sections of large burrows. The two species possibly tolerate each other out of commensalism ; foxes provide badgers with food scraps, while badgers maintain

1316-415: A trait which has been exploited in the now-illegal blood sport of badger-baiting . Like many wild and domesticated species of mammals, badgers can be carriers of bovine tuberculosis , which can spread between species and can be particularly detrimental to cattle. In England, badger populations are culled to try to reduce the incidence of bovine tuberculosis in cattle, although the efficacy of this practice

1410-415: A way that was not the case in the fully-public hall. By the seventeenth century communal meals in the hall had been abandoned and the great chamber was the best dining room. There was often a more modest room called the parlour, where the family took its meals when eating alone. Large houses gradually acquired a greater range of specialised living rooms, such as libraries, drawing rooms , and music rooms. By

1504-433: A wide range of animals and plants. Earthworms are their most important food source, followed by large insects , carrion , cereals , fruit and small mammals , including rabbits , mice , rats , voles , shrews , moles and hedgehogs . Insect prey includes chafers , dung and ground beetles , caterpillars , leatherjackets , and the nests of wasps and bumblebees . They are able to destroy wasp nests, consuming

1598-716: A wise hermit, a good leader and gentleman, embodying common sense. He is also brave and a skilled fighter, and helps rid Toad Hall of invaders from the wild wood. The "Frances" series of children's books by Russell and Lillian Hoban depicts an anthropomorphic badger family. In T. H. White 's Arthurian series The Once and Future King , the young King Arthur is transformed into a badger by Merlin as part of his education. He meets with an older badger who tells him "I can only teach you two things – to dig, and love your home." A villainous badger named Tommy Brock appears in Beatrix Potter 's 1912 book The Tale of Mr. Tod . He

1692-516: Is a badger species in the family Mustelidae native to Europe and West Asia and parts of Central Asia . It is classified as least concern on the IUCN Red List , as it has a wide range and a large, stable population size which is thought to be increasing in some regions. Several subspecies are recognized, with the nominate subspecies ( M. m. meles ) predominating in most of Europe. In Europe, where no other badger species commonly occurs, it

1786-475: Is a pillow mound about 40 feet (12 m) long, 23 feet (7 m) wide and only 10 inches (0.25 m) high, and bounded by a ditch 6 + 1 ⁄ 2 feet (2 m) wide. It is the remains of an artificial warren for farming rabbits , which the Normans introduced to Britain from mainland Europe. Traces of traditional ridge and furrow ploughing survive in much of the parish, and particularly south-east of

1880-507: Is a boar, a female is a sow, and a young badger is a cub. A badger's home is called a sett. Badger colonies are often called clans. The far older name "brock" ( Old English : brocc ), ( Scots : brock ) is a Celtic loanword (cf. Gaelic broc and Welsh broch , from Proto-Celtic * brokko ) meaning 'grey'. The Proto-Germanic term was * þahsu- (cf. German Dachs , Dutch das , Norwegian svin-toks ; Early Modern English dasse ), probably from

1974-549: Is a cousin of Reynard the Fox , whom he uselessly tries to convince to return to the path of righteousness. In Kenneth Grahame 's The Wind in the Willows , Mr. Badger is depicted as a gruff, solitary figure who "simply hates society", yet is a good friend to Mole and Ratty. As a friend of Toad's now-deceased father, he is often firm and serious with Toad, but at the same time generally patient and well-meaning towards him. He can be seen as

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2068-405: Is a lack of suitable burrowing grounds, badgers may move into haystacks in winter. They may share their setts with red foxes or European rabbits . The badgers may provide protection for the rabbits against other predators. The rabbits usually avoid predation by the badgers by inhabiting smaller, hard to reach chambers. Estrus in European badgers lasts four to six days and may occur throughout

2162-607: Is a village and civil parish in West Northamptonshire , England , about 5 miles (8 km) north of Brackley . The village is just south of a stream that rises in the parish and flows east to join the River Tove , a tributary of the Great Ouse . The village's name means 'grove in a gully' or perhaps, 'pit/trench in a gully'. Alternatively, the specific may be a personal name, 'Sula'. Just over 1 mile (1.6 km) north of

2256-469: Is an industrial and provident society , owned by the residents of Sulgrave, to run a shop and post office. Under its constitution, profits are not for distribution to its members but must be reinvested in the enterprise to continue and develop its services to the community. European badger Ursus meles Linnaeus, 1758 The European badger ( Meles meles ), also known as the Eurasian badger ,

2350-439: Is generally just called the " badger ". The European badger is a powerfully built, black, white, brown, and grey animal with a small head, a stocky body, small black eyes, and a short tail. Its weight varies, being 7–13 kg (15–29 lb) (15–29 lb) in spring, but building up to 15–17 kg (33–37 lb) in autumn before the winter sleep period. It is nocturnal and is a social , burrowing animal that sleeps during

2444-543: Is hunted as a pest. Badgers play a part in European folklore and are featured in modern literature. In Irish mythology , badgers are portrayed as shape-shifters and kinsmen to Tadg, the king of Tara and foster father of Cormac mac Airt . In one story, Tadg berates his adopted son for having killed and prepared some badgers for dinner. In German folklore , the badger is portrayed as a cautious, peace-loving Philistine , who loves more than anything his home, family and comfort, though he can become aggressive if surprised. He

2538-537: Is largely associated with territorial defence and mating. When fighting, they bite each other on the neck and rump, while running and chasing each other and injuries incurred in such fights can be severe and sometimes fatal. When attacked by dogs or sexually excited, badgers may raise their tails and fluff up their fur. European badgers have an extensive vocal repertoire. When threatened, they emit deep growls and, when fighting, make low kekkering noises. They bark when surprised, whicker when playing or in distress, and emit

2632-409: Is more common—, Catalan toixó , Spanish tejón , Portuguese texugo ) except Asturian melandru . Until the mid-18th century, European badgers were variously known in English as brock, pate, grey, and bawson. The name "bawson" is derived from "bawsened", which refers to something striped with white. "Pate" is a local name that was once popular in northern England. The name "badget"

2726-460: Is on average 74 cm × 76 cm (29 in × 30 in), and are 38 cm (15 in) high. Badgers dig and collect bedding throughout the year, particularly in autumn and spring. Sett maintenance is usually carried out by subordinate sows and dominant boars. The chambers are frequently lined with bedding, brought in on dry nights, which consists of grass , bracken , straw , leaves and moss . Up to 30 bundles can be carried to

2820-464: Is reported as 6 to 7.95 kg (13.2 to 17.5 lb), perhaps in accordance with Bergmann's rule , that its size decreases in relatively warmer climates. Sows can attain a top autumn weight of around 17.2 kg (38 lb), while exceptionally large boars have been reported in autumn. The heaviest verified was 27.2 kg (60 lb), though unverified specimens have been reported to 30.8 kg (68 lb) and even 34 kg (75 lb) (if so,

2914-466: Is scarce, badgers rely on rabbits as a principal food source. Adult rabbits are usually avoided, unless they are wounded or caught in traps. They consume them by turning them inside out and eating the meat, leaving the inverted skin uneaten. Hedgehogs are eaten in a similar manner. In areas where badgers are common, hedgehogs are scarce. Some rogue badgers may kill lambs, though this is very rare; they may be erroneously implicated in lamb killings through

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3008-637: Is shown kidnapping the children of Benjamin Bunny and his wife Flopsy, and hiding them in an oven at the home of Mr. Tod the fox, whom he fights at the end of the book. The portrayal of the badger as a filthy animal which appropriates fox dens was criticized from a naturalistic viewpoint, though the inconsistencies are few and employed to create individual characters rather than evoke an archetypical fox and badger. A wise old badger named Trufflehunter appears in C. S. Lewis ' Prince Caspian , where he aids Caspian X in his struggle against King Miraz . A badger takes

3102-420: Is strongly disputed, and badger culls are widely considered cruel and inhumane. The source of the word "badger" is uncertain. The Oxford English Dictionary states it probably derives from "badge" + -ard , a reference to the white mark on its forehead that resembles a badge, and may date to the early 16th century. The French word bêcheur ('digger') has also been suggested as a source. A male badger

3196-553: Is uncommon, though badgers may temporarily visit other colonies. Badgers can live for up to about fifteen years in the wild. Badgers begin to prepare for winter sleep during late summer by accumulating fat reserves, which reach a peak in October. During this period, the sett is cleaned and the nesting chamber is filled with bedding. Upon retiring to sleep, badgers block their sett entrances with dry leaves and earth. They typically stop leaving their setts once snow has fallen. In Russia and

3290-593: The Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War and in 1789 was elected first President of the United States . Lawrence Washington had Sulgrave Manor house built in about 1540–60. It is at the northeast end of the village, built of local limestone, with a southwest front, a kitchen and buttery, a great hall , and above it a great chamber and two smaller private chambers. The great hall has

3384-461: The Middle Ages as the base for a windmill. The barrow is largely intact, although it has been partly disturbed by badgers . It is a scheduled monument . Castle Hill, at the west end of the village southwest of the church, is the earthwork remains of a Saxon and Norman ringwork castle. The northern part of the ringwork was excavated in 1960 and 1976. Evidence was found suggesting that

3478-568: The PIE root * tek'- 'to construct', which suggests that the badger was named after its digging of setts (tunnels); the Germanic term * þahsu- became taxus or taxō , -ōnis in Latin glosses , replacing mēlēs (' marten ' or 'badger'), and from these words the common Romance terms for the animal evolved ( Italian tasso , French tesson/taisson/tasson —now blaireau

3572-594: The advowson from the 13th century until 1538, when the priory was suppressed. St James' church is a Grade II* listed building . It is part of the benefice of Culworth , with Sulgrave and Thorpe Mandeville , and Chipping Warden , with Edgcote and Moreton Pinkney . In the 19th century a Baptist chapel was built in Little Street and a Methodist one was built in Manor Road. They were used for worship until about 1970. The Methodist chapel has been converted into

3666-400: The fleas Paraceras melis (the badger flea), Chaetopsylla trichosa and Pulex irritans (the human flea), the lice Trichodectes melis and the ticks Ixodes ricinus , I. canisuga , I. hexagonus , I. reduvius and I. melicula . They also suffer from mange. They spend much time grooming, individuals concentrating on their own ventral areas, alternating one side with

3760-403: The 13th century, though the halls became more frequently of stone, as at Old Soar Manor , of c .1280-90. Old Soar illustrates another development of the time, the addition of smaller rooms attached to the great chamber - in this case, a garderobe and a chapel. At this time, the standard plan of a manor had a single block attached to the hall, with the chamber above and the services below. This

3854-447: The 1990s and was set around the mishaps of a mashed potato -loving badger and his human companion. An unnamed badger is part of Bosnian Serb writer Petar Kočić 's satirical play Badger on Tribunal in which local farmer David Štrbac attempts to sue a badger for eating his crops. It is actually highly critical towards Austro-Hungarian rule in Bosnia and Herzegovina at the beginning of

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3948-515: The Crown sold three manors, including Sulgrave, to Lawrence Washington , a wool merchant who in 1532 had been Mayor of Northampton . Washington's descendants retained the manor until 1659, when one of them sold it. In 1656 a descendant, John Washington of Purleigh , Essex , emigrated to the Colony of Virginia . He is notable for being the great-grandfather of George Washington , who from 1775 commanded

4042-600: The European badger as being of least concern . This is because it is a relatively common species with a wide range and populations are generally stable. In Central Europe it has become more abundant in recent decades due to a reduction in the incidence of rabies. In other areas it has also fared well, with increases in numbers in Western Europe and the United Kingdom. However, in some areas of intensive agriculture it has reduced in numbers due to loss of habitat and in others it

4136-635: The Nordic countries, European badgers retire for winter sleep from late October to mid-November and emerge from their setts in March and early April. In areas such as England and Transcaucasia, where winters are less harsh, badgers either forgo winter sleep entirely or spend long periods underground, emerging in mild spells. European badgers are among the least carnivorous members of the Carnivora ; they are highly adaptable and opportunistic omnivores, whose diet encompasses

4230-482: The Rev Moses Hodges, from whom it passed to his son John Hodges. The lands of Sulgrave manor had become divided into three estates, but John Hodges reunited them. Behind the great hall is a staircase with twisted balusters that was added late in the 17th century. In about 1700 John Hodges had the house rebuilt and enlarged by adding a north-east wing at right angles to the original Tudor building. Hodges also had

4324-507: The SMJR's existing Helmdon station. The London and North Eastern Railway succeeded the GC in 1923 and renamed the main line station "Helmdon for Sulgrave" in 1928. British Railways closed the SMJR station and line in 1951, the GC main line station 1963 and the GC main line in 1966. The Star Inn was built in the 18th century and is now a public house . Sulgrave Village Shop Association Limited (SVS)

4418-415: The black tones becoming brownish, sometimes with yellowish tinges. Partial melanism in badgers is known, and albinos and leucists are not uncommon. Albino badgers can be pure white or yellowish with pink eyes, while leucistic ones are the same but with normal eyes instead. Erythristic badgers are more common than the former, being characterized by having a sandy-red colour on the usually black parts of

4512-549: The body. Yellow badgers are also known. The European badger is native to most of Europe. Its range includes Albania, Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Crete, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Ukraine. The distributional boundary between

4606-453: The breeding season. However, in general, animals within and outside a group show considerable tolerance of each other. Boars tend to mark their territories more actively than sows, with their territorial activity increasing during the mating season in early spring. Badgers groom each other very thoroughly with their claws and teeth. Grooming may have a social function. They are crepuscular and nocturnal in habits. Aggression among badgers

4700-1154: The burrowing habits of the species. In the 19th and 20th centuries, several badger type specimens were described and proposed as subspecies . As of 2005 , eight subspecies were recognized as valid taxa , but four ( canescens , arcalus , rhodius , severzovi ) are now considered to belong to a distinct species, the Caucasian badger ( M. canescens ). [REDACTED] taxus (Boddaert, 1785) alba (Gmelin, 1788) maculata (Gmelin, 1788) vulgaris (Tiedemann, 1808) europaeus (Desmarest, 1816) caninus (Billberg, 1827) communis (Billberg, 1827) typicus (Barrett-Hamilton, 1899) britannicus (Satunin, 1905) caucasicus (Ognev, 1926) tauricus (Ognev, 1926) danicus (Degerbøl, 1933) mediterraneus (Barrett-Hamilton, 1899) [REDACTED] European badgers are powerfully built animals with small heads, thick, short necks, stocky, wedge-shaped bodies and short tails. Their feet are plantigrade or semidigitigrade and short, with five toes on each foot. The limbs are short and massive, with naked lower surfaces on

4794-424: The colour of the upper body. The front parts of the bands are 15 mm (0.59 in), and widen to 45–55 mm (1.8–2.2 in) in the ear region. A wide, white band extends from the nose tip through the forehead and crown. White markings occur on the lower part of the head, and extend backwards to a great part of the neck's length. The summer fur is much coarser, shorter and sparser, and is deeper in colour, with

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4888-789: The countryside is waterlogged , cubs may be born above ground in buildings. Typically, only dominant sows can breed, as they suppress the reproduction of subordinate females. The average litter consists of one to five cubs. Although many cubs are sired by resident males, up to 54% can be fathered by boars from different colonies. Dominant sows may kill the cubs of subordinates. Cubs are born pink, with greyish, silvery fur and fused eyelids. Neonatal badgers are 12 cm (4.7 in) in body length on average and weigh 75 to 132 g (2.6 to 4.7 oz), with cubs from large litters being smaller. By three to five days, their claws become pigmented, and individual dark hairs begin to appear. Their eyes open at four to five weeks and their milk teeth erupt about

4982-523: The culture of courtly romance , for instance in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight , where it is the site of Gawain's temptation. As the great chamber became a reception room, it was designed more for impressing visitors, as at Haddon Hall , where it gained an elaborate new roof and oriel window . The presence of the great bed defined the chamber, being partly seen as an extension of the owner's personality in

5076-529: The day in one of several setts in its territorial range. These burrows have multiple chambers and entrances, and are extensive systems of underground passages of 35–81 m (115–266 ft) length. They house several badger families that use these setts for decades. Badgers are fussy over the cleanliness of their burrow, carrying in fresh bedding and removing soiled material, and they defecate in latrines strategically situated outside their setts or en route to other setts. Although taxonomically classified as

5170-494: The early Middle Pleistocene , with fossil sites occurring in Episcopia , Grombasek , Süssenborn , Hundsheim , Erpfingen , Koněprusy , Mosbach 2, and Stránská Skála . A comparison between fossil and living specimens shows a marked progressive adaptation to omnivory, namely in the increase in the molars ' surface areas and the modification of the carnassials . Occasionally, badger bones are discovered in earlier strata , due to

5264-401: The early 18th century, great chambers had been replaced by rooms called "saloons", and these soon lost their function as dining rooms. Many great chambers survive. Hardwick Hall has a very large and little-altered example from around 1600. In many other cases they were redecorated and given more specialised functions as drawing rooms or ballrooms or libraries. Sulgrave Sulgrave

5358-516: The end of the hall. Some chamber blocks were built of stone and have survived, though the timber halls to which they were attached have vanished. This has led to confusion, with earlier historians like Margaret Wood seeing them as first floor halls. Examples include Burton Agnes Old Hall , Boothby Pagnell Manor, Hemingford Grey Manor and the School of Pythagoras in Cambridge. This development continued in

5452-518: The extent of red foxes. In mountainous areas it occurs up to an altitude of 2,000 m (6,600 ft). European badgers are the most social of badgers, forming groups of six adults on average, though larger associations of up to 23 individuals have been recorded. Group size may be related to habitat composition. Under optimal conditions, badger territories can be as small as 30 ha (74 acres), but may be as large as 150 ha (370 acres) in marginal areas. Badger territories can be identified by

5546-652: The facial part of their skulls is elongated and narrow. Adults have prominent sagittal crests which can reach 15 mm tall in old males, and are more strongly developed than those of honey badgers. Aside from anchoring the jaw muscles, the thickness of the crests protect their skulls from hard blows. Similar to martens, the dentition of European badgers is well-suited for their omnivorous diets. Their incisors are small and chisel -shaped, their canine teeth are prominent and their carnassials are not overly specialized. Their molars are flattened and adapted for grinding. Their jaws are powerful enough to crush most bones;

5640-417: The feet. The claws are strong, elongated and have an obtuse end, which assists in digging. The claws are not retractable, and the hind claws wear with age. Old badgers sometimes have their hind claws almost completely worn away from constant use. Their snouts, which are used for digging and probing, are muscular and flexible. The eyes are small and the ears short and tipped with white. Whiskers are present on

5734-487: The first construction on the site was a timber-framed hall about 80 feet (24 m) long and a detached stone and timber building, probably built in the late 10th century. They seem to have been an Anglo-Saxon manor house and separate kitchen. This was followed by the building of the earthen rampart, which is now rounded but may originally have been a straight-sided pentagon . After the Norman conquest of England in 1066

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5828-421: The fur on the back and flanks is long and coarse, consisting of bristly guard hairs with a sparse, soft undercoat. The belly fur consists of short, sparse hairs, with skin being visible in the inguinal region . Guard hair length on the middle of the back is 75–80 mm (3.0–3.1 in) in winter. Prior to the winter, the throat, lower neck, chest and legs are black. The belly is of a lighter, brownish tint, while

5922-523: The heaviest weight for any terrestrial mustelid). If average weights are used, the European badger ranks as the second largest terrestrial mustelid, behind only the wolverine. Although their sense of smell is acute, their eyesight is monochromatic as has been shown by their lack of reaction to red lanterns. Only moving objects attract their attention. Their hearing is no better than that of humans. European badger skulls are quite massive, heavy and elongated. Their braincases are oval in outline, while

6016-536: The house was restored in 1920–30 and a new west wing was added in 1921 in symmetry with the surviving east wing. The house is open to the public and is administered by the Sulgrave Manor Trust (formerly Sulgrave Manor Board). It is a Grade I listed building . The Church of England parish church of St James the Less was built in the 13th and 14th centuries. The Cluniac St Andrew's Priory, Northampton held

6110-401: The inguinal region is brownish-grey. The general colour of the back and sides is light silvery-grey, with straw-coloured highlights on the sides. The tail has long and coarse hairs, and is generally the same colour as the back. Two black bands pass along the head, starting from the upper lip and passing upwards to the whole base of the ears. The bands sometimes extend along the neck and merge with

6204-509: The legs of their mothers, and even adult badgers may be attacked by this eagle species when emerging weak and hungry from hibernation. Eurasian eagle owls ( Bubo bubo ) may also take an occasional cub and other large raptors such as white-tailed eagles ( Haliaeetus albicilla ) and greater spotted eagle ( Clanga clanga ) are considered potential badger cub predators. Raccoon dogs may extensively use badger setts for shelter. There are many known cases of badgers and raccoon dogs wintering in

6298-400: The manor complex based around the ringwork. Behind houses on the northwest side of the village are low banks and shallow ditches that suggest closes larger than the current gardens. In the northeast part of the village, on the south side of Manor Road, are traces of house platforms and earth banks that surrounded their closes. About 1 ⁄ 2 -mile (800 m) southeast of the village

6392-424: The mustelid herpesvirus -1, as well as rabies and canine distemper , though the latter two are absent in Great Britain. Other diseases found in European badgers include arteriosclerosis , pneumonia , pleurisy , nephritis , enteritis , polyarthritis and lymphosarcoma . Internal parasites of badgers include trematodes , nematodes and several species of tapeworm . Ectoparasites carried by them include

6486-941: The occupants, combs, and envelope, such as that of Vespula rufa nests, since their thick skin and body hair protect the badgers from stings. Cereal food includes wheat, oats , maize and occasionally barley . Fruits include windfall apples, pears, plums , blackberries , bilberries , raspberries , cherries , strawberries , acorns , beechmast , pignuts and wild arum corms . Occasionally, they feed on medium to large birds , amphibians , fish , small reptiles including tortoises and lizards , snails , slugs , fungi, tubers and green food such as clover and grass , particularly in winter and during droughts . Badgers characteristically capture large numbers of one food type in each hunt. Generally, they do not eat more than 0.5 kg (1.1 lb) of food per day, with young specimens yet to attain one year of age eating more than adults. An adult badger weighing 15 kg (33 lb) eats

6580-467: The original hall was replaced with a stone one about 40 feet (12 m) long and 18 feet (5.5 m) wide. Small timber buildings were also added. The earthen ramparts were increased in height in the middle of the 11th century, and again early in the 12th century. The site seems to have been abandoned about 1140. It is a scheduled monument. East-south-east of Sulgrave is Gallow Field, within Stuchbury,

6674-441: The other, while social grooming occurs with one individual grooming another on its dorsal surface. Fleas tried to avoid the scratching, retreating rapidly downwards and backwards through the fur. This was in contrast to fleas away from their host, which ran upwards and jumped when disturbed. The grooming seems to disadvantage fleas rather than merely having a social function. The International Union for Conservation of Nature rates

6768-505: The pair may briefly copulate for a minute or two when the sow is not in estrus. A delay of two to nine months precedes the fertilized eggs implanting into the wall of the uterus , though matings in December can result in immediate implantation. Ordinarily, implantation happens in December, with a gestation period lasting seven weeks. Cubs are usually born in mid-January to mid-March within underground chambers containing bedding. In areas where

6862-441: The presence of communal latrines and well-worn paths. It is mainly males that are involved in territorial aggression. A hierarchical social system is thought to exist among badgers and large powerful boars seem to assert dominance over smaller males. Large boars sometimes intrude into neighbouring territories during the main mating season in early spring. Sparring and more vicious fights generally result from territorial defense in

6956-417: The presence of discarded wool and bones near their setts, though foxes, which occasionally live alongside badgers, are often the culprits, as badgers do not transport food to their setts. They typically kill lambs by biting them behind the shoulder. Poultry and game birds are also taken only rarely. Some badgers may build their setts in close proximity to poultry or game farms without ever causing damage. In

7050-680: The ranges of European and Asian badgers is the Volga River , the European species being situated on the western bank. The boundary between the ranges of the European and Caucasian badgers is in the North Caucasus , but a clear boundary has not been defined, and they are sympatric in some regions, potentially forming a hybrid zone . They are common in European Russia , with 30,000 individuals having been recorded there in 1990. They are abundant and increasing throughout their range, partly due to

7144-756: The rare instances in which badgers do kill reared birds, the killings usually occur in February–March, when food is scarce due to harsh weather and increases in badger populations. Badgers can easily breach bee hives with their jaws, and are mostly indifferent to bee stings , even when set upon by swarms. European badgers have few natural enemies. While normally docile, badgers can become extremely aggressive and ferocious when cornered, making it dangerous for predators to target them. Grey wolves ( Canis lupus ), Eurasian lynxes ( Lynx lynx ) and brown bears ( Ursus arctos ), Europe's three largest remaining land predators, and large domestic dogs ( C. familiaris ) can pose

7238-482: The same hole, possibly because badgers enter hibernation two weeks earlier than the latter, and leave two weeks later. In exceptional cases, badger and raccoon dog cubs may coexist in the same burrow. Badgers may drive out or kill raccoon dogs if they overstay their welcome. Bovine tuberculosis (bovine TB) caused by Mycobacterium bovis is a major mortality factor in badgers, though infected badgers can live and successfully breed for years before succumbing. The disease

7332-400: The same time. They emerge from their setts at eight weeks of age, and begin to be weaned at twelve weeks, though they may still suckle until they are four to five months old. Subordinate females assist the mother in guarding, feeding and grooming the cubs. Cubs fully develop their adult coats at six to nine weeks. In areas with medium to high badger populations, dispersal from the natal group

7426-402: The sett on a single night. European badgers are fastidiously clean animals which regularly clear out and discard old bedding. During the winter, they may take their bedding outside on sunny mornings and retrieve it later in the day. Spring cleaning is connected with the birth of cubs, and may occur several times during the summer to prevent parasite levels building up. If a badger dies within

7520-448: The sett, its conspecifics will seal off the chamber and dig a new one. Some badgers will drag their dead out of the sett and bury them outside. A sett is almost invariably located near a tree, which is used by badgers for stretching or claw scraping. Badgers defecate in latrines , which are located near the sett and at strategic locations on territorial boundaries or near places with abundant food supplies. In extreme cases, when there

7614-420: The shared burrow's cleanliness. However, cases are known of badgers driving vixens from their dens and destroying their litters without eating them. In turn, red foxes are known to have killed badger cubs in spring. Golden eagles ( Aquila chrysaetos ) are known predators of European badgers and attacks by them on badger cubs are not infrequent, including cases where they have been pulled out directly from below

7708-586: The site of the Anglo-Saxon moots for the Domesday-era hundred of Alboldstow. Sulgrave was within the adjoining hundred of Warden. After the Norman Conquest Sulgrave was one of the manors granted to Ghilo or Gilo, brother of Ansculf de Picquigny . The Domesday Book of 1086 records that three tenants; Hugh, Landric and Othbert; held Sulgrave of him. In the 12th century the manor of "Solegrave"

7802-1079: The snout and above the eyes. Boars typically have broader heads, thicker necks and narrower tails than sows, which are sleeker, have narrower, less domed heads and fluffier tails. The guts of badgers are longer than those of red foxes , reflecting their omnivorous diet. The small intestine has a mean length of 5.36 m (17.6 ft) and lacks a cecum . Both sexes have three pairs of nipples but these are more developed in females. European badgers cannot flex their backs as martens , polecats and wolverines can, nor can they stand fully erect like honey badgers , though they can move quickly at full gallop. Adults measure 25–30 cm (9.8–11.8 in) in shoulder height, 60–90 cm (24–35 in) in body length, 12–24 cm (4.7–9.4 in) in tail length, 7.5–13 cm (3.0–5.1 in) in hind foot length and 3.5–7 cm (1.4–2.8 in) in ear height. Males (or boars) slightly exceed females (or sows) in measurements, but can weigh considerably more. Their weights vary seasonally, growing from spring to autumn and reaching

7896-404: The village is Barrow Hill, a bowl barrow beside Banbury Lane between Culworth and Weston . The barrow is oval, about 130 feet (40 m) long, 80 feet (24 m) wide and up to 6 + 1 ⁄ 2 feet (2 m) high. It is Bronze Age and may date from between 2400 and 1500 BC. It may have been surrounded by a ditch, but this can no longer be traced. The mound may have been re-used in

7990-474: The village. They are evidence of the open field system of farming that prevailed in the parish until 1767, when Parliament passed the Inclosure Act for Sulgrave. John and Mary Hodges founded Sulgrave school in the early 18th century as a charity school for poor boys of the parish. The school building, at the corner of Magpie Road and Stockwell Lane, is a stone building which according to its date stone

8084-524: The year, though the main peak occurs in February–May, when mature sows are in postpartal estrus and young animals experience their first estrus. Matings occurring outside this period typically occur in sows which either failed to mate earlier in the year or matured slowly. Badgers are usually monogamous ; boars typically mate with one female for life, whereas sows have been known to mate with more than one male. Mating lasts for fifteen to sixty minutes, though

8178-401: The year, though there is a peak in spring. Sexual maturity in boars is usually attained at the age of twelve to fifteen months but this can range from nine months to two years. Males are normally fecund during January–May, with spermatogenesis declining in summer. Sows usually begin ovulating in their second year, though some exceptionally begin at nine months. They can mate at any time of

8272-605: Was a tower mill about 600 yards (550 m) northwest of the village. By the 1970s it was derelict but the tower has since been restored as part of a private house. The parish stocks survive. They are on The Green, at the junction of Magpie Road and Park Lane, and are probably 19th century. In 1872 the Northampton and Banbury Junction Railway was opened between Blisworth and Farthinghoe . It passed roughly east–west through Greatworth parish about 1 + 1 ⁄ 4 miles (2 km) south of Sulgrave, and its nearest station

8366-555: Was at Helmdon about 2 + 1 ⁄ 4 miles (4 km) away. In 1910 it became part of the Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway (SMJR). In the 1899 the Great Central Main Line to London Marylebone was built through the east of Sulgrave parish, passing about 3 ⁄ 5 -mile (1 km) east of the manor house. The Great Central Railway opened its own Helmdon station, causing confusion with

8460-439: Was completed in 1720. It was probably remodelled in the 19th century. It is now the village hall . A water mill on the stream just north of the village was built in the 18th century and enlarged in the 19th century. In 1788 the miller was a John Brockliss, who ordered machinery from Boulton and Watt . The mill is now a private house but is said to retain an iron mill-wheel made in about 1840. The mill-pond survives. There

8554-649: Was first observed in badgers in 1951 in Switzerland where they were believed to have contracted it from chamois ( Rupicapra rupicapra ) or roe deer ( Capreolus capreolus ). It was detected in the United Kingdom in 1971 where it was linked to an outbreak of bovine TB in cows. The evidence appears to indicate that the badger is the primary reservoir of infection for cattle in the southwest of England, Wales and Ireland. Since then there has been considerable controversy as to whether culling badgers will effectively reduce or eliminate bovine TB in cattle. Badgers are vulnerable to

8648-590: Was once common, but only used in Norfolk , while "earth dog" was used in southern Ireland. The badger is commonly referred to in Welsh as a mochyn daear ('earth pig'). Ursus meles was the scientific name used by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, who described the badger in his work Systema Naturae . The species likely evolved from the Chinese Meles thorali of the early Pleistocene . The modern species originated during

8742-577: Was still in the fee of Gilo. On both occasions the manor was assessed at four hides . In the middle of the 12th century the manor was granted to the Cluniac Priory of St Andrew at Northampton , and the ringwork site was abandoned as a manorial seat. In, 1538 St Andrew's Priory was suppressed in the Dissolution of the Monasteries and surrendered all its estates to the Crown . In 1539 or 1540

8836-465: Was to change in the later Middle Ages, when the H-plan became the norm: the great chamber lay over the parlour at the upper end of the hall, while over the services would be a lesser chamber for an official. In magnate houses, the great chamber was the centre of elaborate later medieval rituals, as the room in which guests were entertained and intimate meals were eaten. The chamber also had great significance in

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