Meles (genus) Meles (genus) Meles is a genus of badgers containing three living species, the Japanese badger ("Meles anakuma"), Asian badger ("Meles leucurus"), and European badger ("Meles meles"). In an older categorization, they were seen as a single species with three subspecies ("Meles meles anakuma", "Meles meles leucurus" and "Meles meles meles"). There are also several extinct members of the genus. The genus "Meles" was erected by French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1762 after Carl Linnaeus had described the Eurasian badger "Meles meles" in 1758. This animal had a very extensive range over most of temperate Europe and Asia and there
River Meles be subject to contradictory views among scholars and other concerned parties. Homer is connected with the valley of Smyrna and the banks of the Meles. His figure was one of the stock types on coins of Smyrna, one class of which showed the poet sitting, holding a volumen on his knees, and supporting his chin on his right hand was called "Homerian" by numismatists. The epithet "Melesigenes" (which means, "son of Meles" was applied to him. The cave where he was to compose his poems was described as being near the source of the river, his temple, the Homereion, stood