11th February, 2003

It is sometimes interesting to think about some of the animals and plants which are absent from the area. For example, I have only once seen a nuthatch on the school land but this bird is common in areas only twenty miles from the school. There is no obvious reason why this species should not be common around here as the areas in which it is common offer similar habitat and an identical climate.

The absence of some species, such as the badger, can be explained readily because of the persecution that has taken place in West Yorkshire. Although there are no badgers within the immediate area, I have heard of one or two family groups within a few miles of here and I recently heard about a dead badger being seen only about three miles away. Artificial badger setts, which make it difficult for badger baiters to dig out the badgers, have been created locally and there is a possibility that badgers may be seen on the school land in the future.

The skull shown above has the characteristic bony crest which is seen on badger skulls. Another characteristic of the skull is that the jaw bone does not detach from the upper part of the skull after death but remains firmly attached. It is also interesting to note the similarites between the badger's skull and that of its smaller relative, the weasel.