Badger setts provide thermal refugia, buffering changeable surface weather conditions

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Animal Behavior
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Mammalian dens are vital for thermoregulation and reproduction.
• Altricial young require stable microclimates for development.
• Burrowing species, like badgers, rely on dens for environmental buffering.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate badger sett (burrow system) thermal properties.
• To assess the influence of sett microclimate on badger body condition and cub growth.
• To understand the role of dens as thermal refuges.

Main Methods:

• Monitoring temperature and humidity at 11 badger setts using thermal probes and data loggers.
• Measuring sett temperatures relative to external conditions from September to December.
• Correlating sett temperature with adult and cub body weight and condition.

Main Results:

• Setts were cooler than exteriors in early autumn (Sept-Oct) and warmer in late autumn/winter (Nov-Dec).
• Sett temperatures fluctuated with badger occupancy and foraging patterns.
• Soil type and aspect influenced sett thermal profiles.
• Autumn/winter sett temperature did not impact autumn adult/cub condition, but warmer setts correlated with heavier cubs in spring.

Conclusions:

• Badger sett microclimates provide a significant thermal refuge, stabilizing temperatures against external fluctuations.
• Warmer setts during the critical pre-cubbing period may enhance cub survival and development.
• Den use is a key strategy for fossorial species to mitigate environmental variability and potential climate change impacts.