Morphological, sex and age characteristics of the population Asian badgers (Meles leucurus) in the territory of the Zeya - Bureya plain

For this analysis, we used the collected material to identify the sex and age structure of the population. The general tone of color of the back, the nominal subspecies of badger species is expressed in a yellowish-gray color of the fur, and dark hair on the sides of the head brown-brown color. We investigated the Special Far Eastern subspecies identified the following types of color: the color of the back and sides with a bright silvery gray hue, sometimes a little dimmer - greyish. This shade is determined by a grayish-white area tip guard hairs. Thus, we studied individuals have more saturated color, but the contrast is less pronounced, and are more greyish silvery. A more precise definition of colors coat color, the undercoat and skin were carried out on a scale Bondartseva (1954), and the background color of the wool in general and painting mask (facial strips) describes the features of this subspecies, but did not reveal signs of sexual dimorphism. Averages long claws for males and females are about the same. The bare skin of the nose and footpads, animals of all ages, both sexes have a dark brown color. Claw color - black, brownish. This fact is also characterized by the specificity of the population, and also does not characterize the age and sex dimorphism. On the basis of available material craniological n = 30 (100 %) and the teeth of these animals, we determined the age of the animal. This technique analyzes the degree of grinding and the degree of exposure of dentin, the size of the sewing area (Mashkin 2013), which characterizes the age stage. The results showed that the immature young in the population on average, 27.7 % of adults and 57 % of older individuals, and 16 % is 1.6: 3.4: 1. Such a ratio of age groups shows the gender composition of individuals caught in the study population consisting 47 % of females and 53 % males - 1: 1.1. In the second year of life reaches a badger weight and body size of an adult animal and external clear differences in the age groups there. Asian badger isolated populations in the Far East and has a species-specific morphological features. They are as little pronounced sexual dimorphism and age and quite distinct morphological differences with the other Asian subspecies of badger.