Geographical variability of skull and taxonomy of Eurasian badgers (Mustelidae, Meles)

The morphometric variation of 30 cranial characters in 468 specimens of Eurasian badgers from different Palaearctic areas was analyzed. Multivariate analyses were carried out to examine the variation from the multidimensional standpoint. The results obtained support the previous idea of distinguishing the Eurasian badgers into three species: the European badger, Meles meles (Linnaeus 1758). the Asian badger. M. leucurus (Hodgson 1847), and the Japanese badger, M. anakuma Temminck 1844. All the studied populations of M. meles and M. leucurus were shown to contain two groups differed on the subspecific level. The analysis of craniometric variability in M. m. meles and of M. l. leucurus has revealed no geographical variation. A system of the genus Meles is provided with the European badger, M. meles. including four subspecies (meles, milleri, canescens, and arcalus), the Asian badger, M. leucurus (two subspecies, leucurus, amurensis), and the Japanese badger, M. anakuma.