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Sett Use by Eurasian Badgers
Journal
Behaviour, Volume
138,Number 2, 2001, pp. 173-187(15) - Brill Academic Publishers
Authors
Roper T.J.; Ostler J.R.; Schmid T.K.; Christian S.F.
from the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Sussex
Abstract
The badger
constructs burrows of two basic types: 'main setts' and 'outliers'. We examined
daytime burrow use year-round in 19 radio-collared badgers belonging to six
different social groups, in order to test the hypotheses relating use of
multiple sleeping sites to ectoparasite avoidance and social status. Ten animals
rarely or never slept away from the main sett, while the remaining nine animals
spent 20-73% of their days in outliers, mainly in summer. Outlier use was not
related to sex or body condition, but animals that used outliers tended to be
younger and had larger numbers of fleas than those that remained in the main
sett year-round. Within the main sett, all the members of a social group had
overlapping ranges: i.e. the sett was not divided into separate
'territories'. Group ranges were smallest in winter and largest in
summer/autumn. Nest chambers were usually shared between at least two members of
a social group on any one day, but males slept alone more often than did
females. Individuals tended to cluster together in the same nest chamber more in
winter than at other times of year, presumably to gain thermoregulatory
advantage from huddling. We conclude that the pattern of burrow use in badgers
is complex. Use of space within the main sett and tendency to disperse to
outliers in the summer are in part affected by ectoparasite infestation, while
use of space within the main sett is also influenced by variables such as sex
and age that may reflect social status.
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