Winter activity of European badger ( Meles meles ) in Slovakia

Abstract

In wide geographical distribution, the European badger is adapted to various climates, habitats and feeding conditions. At latitudes with severe winters, badgers build fat reserves in autumn and rest in winter. The effect of different temperature and climate to winter diurnal activity of badgers was studied in seven sites of the Javorie Mts and Pliešovská kotlina Valley in central Slovakia. Data were obtained from camera traps installed at badger setts and from snow tracking in three consecutive winters 2012–2015. As the considerable differences of weather conditions were found, also differences in diurnal activity in different winters appeared. The result shows that winter diurnal activity of badgers strongly depends on climate and air temperature. In average, badgers on five different setts were active more than 50% of days during January 2015 (average temperature –0.4 °C). Badgers were mainly nocturnal in winter months. Few cases of daylight activity were recorded only in second half of February, when also mating was recorded.