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Daily activity patterns

The Eurasian badger is mainly nocturnal. The actual time in the evening when the badger emerges from its sett varies considerably from place to place and from badger to badger. The timing also varies over the course of the year. In Britain, the badger usually comes above ground around dusk, and so emerges later in the summer months and earlier during the winter. Emergences in the winter months usually take place after darkness has fallen, but in the summer months the badger often leaves the sett while it is still light.

Badgers are also seen about during the day from time to time, typically in areas where the animals are undisturbed, or when the weather is very hot, or during dry summers when food may be scarce.

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Yearly activity patterns

In Britain (and over most of the rest of the Eurasian badger's range) the badger's activity patterns vary over the course of the year. December is the month when badgers are least active; they do not hibernate, but they spend much of their time sleeping in their setts, using up their reserves of body fat. This reduction in activity is reflected in records of badgers killed by road traffic; these show that very few are killed in December. In February however, the situation changes completely, and road casualties are now at their highest levels. This peak in the number of road kills continues through March and April. This is because the badgers have become much more active - many of the females have now given birth, and the main mating season has begun. The majority of the road casualties occurring at this time are males, which travel widely as they patrol their territories and look for mates. Females with young cubs tend to stay close to home, although they too may wander further from the sett if food is scarce.

After the hectic activity of late winter and early spring, life returns to a more normal pace in late spring and early summer. Towards the end of summer and in the autumn however, badgers begin to wander more extensively over their territories again. There is a certain amount of breeding activity going on at this time of year, but the main reason for the badgers' increased activity is their desire to feed and put on enough fat to see them through the coming winter. A secondary peak in the number of road casualties occurs now. As winter approaches, the badgers spend less time foraging and more time sleeping in their setts. Come December, activity levels have slowed right down again, and in cold weather badgers may stay below ground sleeping for extended periods. At these times the body temperature is reduced, and so fat reserves are conserved.

Picture © Steve Clark, and used with his permission. See the Photo File.

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References

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Additional picture credits

The Eurasian badger photo used at the head of this Article is © Steve Jackson. Credits for the photos used in the right-hand margin of this page for site navigation can be found on the Credits page.

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