Just a video clip tonight, but rather special in that I think it's the first time I've had two badgers sharing the limelight. Given that neither of them are the badger with the swollen leg, it also confirms that we have at least three badgers wandering through the garden at night. Little wonder then that we're seeing rather less of the fox cubs.
Video recorded by the Bushnell trophy cam.
derWandersmann
31 Jul 2012These look younger than the one(s) we've seen before … do you think they are?
And has it struck you how common through all the mammals that scratching with the rear foot is? It's so common we never notice it. It must come from the remotest possible ancestor, some sort of ur-mammal.
Words
1 Aug 2012dW, I'm sure they are younger that at lest one of the badgers we've seen. The one with swellings looks old (and much bigger).
I guess rear-leg scratching comes easy to most mammals… a very natural habit. I wonder what the heck elephants do though. :confused:
SittingFox
3 Aug 2012Rub themselves against trees, I'd imagine (I'd also imagine that the tree doesn't benefit from the experience).
You're collecting quite a clan of badgers!
derWandersmann
3 Aug 2012I think they do a bit of rolling about in dust and / or water.
I doubt that elephants suffer much from fleas and similar beasts, although it's difficult to believe that there is no parasite that bothers them. If they do have fleas, I don't want to meet one without some kind of protection.
SittingFox
3 Aug 2012I assume that ticks attack them, but they're presumably attended by oxpeckers like other African megafauna. I've seen a wild elephant throwing dust onto itself with its trunk.
Words
5 Aug 2012Adele, the badgers are definitely taking over. I'm struggling to see more than a disappearing tail in the flesh though.