A Rock with Badger Claw Marks

We don't have to move far from the sett entrance to find more signs on the trail of the badger. In fact, there are signs to be found on the pile of earth just outside the entrance - like this rock.

The pile of earth outside a badger sett entrance is called a spoil heap. It is made up of earth that was dug out by the badgers when they were digging their tunnels and chambers underground. If the sett has been dug into sandstone, there will be rocks on the spoil heaps, like the one in the picture above.

If you look at this particular lump of sandstone, you can see that it has lots of scratch marks on it. These marks were made by the claws of the badger who dug the rock out. The badger had to scratch at the rock to get it loose. Then it could drag the rock outside, and leave it on the spoil heap.

The type of soil and rocks that you will find in the badger's spoil heaps will depend on where the sett has been dug. Badgers like digging into sand, because it is fairly easy to dig, and because it doesn't hold water. This means that it stays dry and warm. Badgers also like digging into limestone. The rock in the picture below is a lump of limestone dug out by a badger and left on the spoil heap. Just like the sandstone rock, it has deep scratch marks in it, made by the claws of the badger who dug it out.

For the next sign on the trail of the badger, we will stay on the spoil heap. Sometimes, badgers dig more than just rocks and soil from underground . . .