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{{Taxobox
| name = Asian badger
| image = Meles leucurus - Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology - DSC02498.JPG
| image_alt =
| image_caption = asian badger
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name=iucn />
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| phylum = [[Chordata]]
| classis = [[Mammal]]ia
| ordo = [[Carnivora]]
| subordo = [[Caniformia]]
| familia = [[Mustelidae]]
| subfamilia = [[Mustelinae]]
| genus = ''[[Meles (genus)|Meles]]''
| species = '''''M. leucurus'''''
| binomial = ''Meles leucurus''
| binomial_authority = [[Brian Houghton Hodgson|Hodgson]], 1847<ref name = "World" />
| range_map = Asian Badger area.png
| range_map_caption = Asian badger range
}}

The '''Asian badger''' (''Meles leucurus''), also known as the '''sand badger''' is a species of [[badger]] native to [[Mongolia]], [[China]], [[Kazakhstan]], the [[Korean Peninsula]] and [[Russia]].

==Description==
[[File:Meles (Genus).jpg|thumb|Comparative illustration of [[European badger]] (top), Asian badger (centre) and [[Japanese badger]] (bottom)]]
Asian badgers are mostly lighter in colour than [[European badger]]s, though some forms may closely approach the former species in colour, if not darker, with smudges of ocherous and brownish highlights. The flanks are lighter than the middle of the back, and the facial stripes are usually brown rather than black. Unlike the facial stripes of European badgers, those of Asian badgers narrow behind their eyes and extend above the ears. The white parts of the head are usually dirtier in colour than those of European badgers. The light stripe passing along the top of the head between the two stripes is relatively short and narrow. They are generally smaller than their European cousins, and have relatively longer upper molars.<ref name="s1251">{{Harvnb|Heptner|Sludskii|2002|p=1251}}</ref>

==Subspecies==
Five subspecies are recognised.<ref>{{MSW3 Wozencraft | pages = | id =14001277}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable" width=80% font=90%
|- bgcolor="#115a6c"
!Subspecies
!Trinomial authority
!Description
!Range
!Synonyms
|----
|'''Common sand badger''' ''Meles leucurus leucurus''
|Hodgson, 1847
|
|
|{{plainlist|
* ''blanfordi'' (Matschie, 1907)
* ''chinensis'' (Gray, 1868)
* ''hanensis'' (Matschie, 1907)
* ''leptorhynchus'' (Milne-Edwards, 1867)
* ''siningensis'' (Matschie, 1907)
* ''tsingtauensis'' (Matschie, 1907)
}}
|----
|'''Amur badger''' ''Meles leucurus amurensis''
|Schrenck, 1859
|The darkest coloured and smallest subspecies. The facial stripes extend above the ears, and are black or blackish-brown in colour. The entire area between the stripes and cheeks are dirty-greyish brown, as opposed to white. The colour can be so dark, that the stripes are almost indistinguishable. The back is greyish-brown with silver highlights. The pelage itself is soft, but is lacking in wool. The skull is small, smooth and has weakly developed projections. It lacks first premolars. Body length is {{convert|60|–|70|cm|in}}<ref name="s1260">{{Harvnb|Heptner|Sludskii|2002|pp=1260–1262}}</ref>
|[[Ussuri]], [[Priamurye]], [[Greater Khingan]] and [[Korean Peninsula]]
|''melanogenys'' (J. A. Allen, 1913) 
''schrenkii'' (Nehring, 1891)
|----
|'''Kazakh badger''' ''Meles leucurus arenarius''
|Satunin, 1895
|A moderately sized subspecies, being intermediate in size between ''Meles m. meles'' and ''Meles m. canascens''. Its colour is lighter and paler than its northern cousins, with less prominent facial stripes. Its pelage is coarse and bristly, and has scarce underfur. Boars grow to {{convert|70|-|78|cm|in}} in body length, while sows grow to {{convert|61|-|70|cm|in}}. Boars weigh {{convert|7.8|-|8.3|kg|lb}} in March–May, and {{convert|5.6|-|7|kg|lb}} in March–June<ref name="s1257">{{Harvnb|Heptner|Sludskii|2002|pp=1257–1258}}</ref>
|Southeastern [[Volga]], most of [[Kazakhstan]] (excepting the northern and montane parts), the [[Middle Asia]]n plains (excepting the regions occupied by ''Meles m. canascens'' and ''Meles m. severzovi'')
|
|----
|'''Siberian badger''' ''Meles leucurus sibiricus''
|Kastschenko, 1900
|A moderately sized subspecies, being intermediate in size between ''Meles m. meles'' and ''Meles m. canascens''. The general colour tone of the back is light grey, usually with yellowish or straw coloured highlights. The facial stripes are brownish-black to tawny black. The pelage is long and soft with a dense undercoat. Boars grow to {{convert|65.7|–|75|cm|in}} in body length, while sows grow to {{convert|62|-|69.2|cm|in}}. Boars weigh {{convert|10|-|13.6|kg|lb}}<ref name="s1256">{{Harvnb|Heptner|Sludskii|2002|pp=1256–1257}}</ref>
|[[Siberia]], including [[Transbaikalia]] and [[Altai Krai|Altai]], northern Kazakhstan and probably the eastern Volga
| {{plainlist|
* ''aberrans'' (Stroganov, 1962)
* ''altaicus'' (Kastschenko, 1902)
* ''enisseyensis'' (Petrov, 1953)
* ''eversmanni'' (Petrov, 1953)
* ''raddei'' (Kastschenko, 1902)
}}
|----
|'''Tien Shan badger''' ''Meles leucurus tianschanensis''
|Hoyningen-Huene, 1910
|A moderately sized subspecies, with a somewhat darker pelt than ''Meles l. arenarius'' and a less developed yellow sheen. The fur is longer, denser and fluffier<ref name=s1257/>
|Northern [[Tien Shan]]
|''talassicus'' (Ognev, 1931)
|----
|}

==Distribution and habitat==
Asian badgers have a large range including the southern portion of [[Russia]] east of the [[Urals]], [[Kazakhstan]], [[Mongolia]], [[China]], and [[Korea]]. The species can be found within areas of high elevation (perhaps up to {{convert|4000|m|ft}}) in the Ural Mountains, the [[Tian Shan]] mountains, and the [[Tibetan Plateau]]. The ranges of Asian and European badgers are separated in places by the [[Volga River]]. Asian badgers prefer open deciduous woodland and adjacent pastureland, but also inhabit coniferous and mixed woodlands, scrub and steppe. They are sometimes found in suburban areas.<ref name=iucn/>

==Hunting==
Asian badgers are legally hunted in China, Russia and Mongolia, as well as illegally within protected areas in China. Russia's established badger hunting season, usually takes place from August to November.<ref name=iucn/>

==Medicine==
In Mongolian traditional medicine, balm made from badger fat oil is used as a remedy for variety of ailments and diseases such as pulmonary tuberculosis, pneumonia, bronchitis, stomach ulcer, inflammatory diseases of the kidney, intestinal diseases and colds.

==References==
===Notes===
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em|refs=
<ref name = "World">{{Cite book
| title = Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed)
| editor-last = Wilson
| editor-first = Don E.
| editor2-last = Reeder
| editor2-first = DeeAnn M.
| url = http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3/browse.asp?s=y&id=14001277
| publisher = Johns Hopkins University Press
| year = 2005
| accessdate = 16 August 2009
| ref = harv
}}</ref><ref name=iucn>{{IUCN2009.1
| last = Abramov |first=A. |last2=Wozencraft |first2=C.
| year = 2008
| id = 136385
| title = Meles leucurus
| downloaded = 16 August 2009
}}</ref>
}}

===Bibliography===
*{{Cite book|last1=Heptner|first1=V. G.|last2=Sludskii|first2=A. A.|url=http://ia360707.us.archive.org/18/items/mammalsofsov212001gept/mammalsofsov212001gept.pdf|title=Mammals of the Soviet Union. Vol. II, part 1b, Carnivores(Mustelidae)|publisher=Washington, D.C. : Smithsonian Institution Libraries and National Science Foundation|year=2002|isbn=90-04-08876-8|ref=harv|postscript=}}

{{Carnivora|M.}}

[[Category:Badgers]]
[[Category:Mammals of Asia]]
[[Category:Mammals of Russia]]
[[Category:Mammals of China]]
[[Category:Mammals of Kazakhstan]]

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