Abstract
For many species, burrowing is used for a variety of purposes, such as finding food, sheltering from elements and predators, or raising offspring. For threatened species, differentiating among burrow types allows effective conservation efforts, and provides insight into habitat attributes needed at different stages in their life-history. This study investigated whether burrow characteristics for the North American badger Taxidea taxus allowed discrimination among summer, winter and natal burrows, and whether these characteristics reflected different requirements by the animals. Radio-telemetry was used to monitor badgers and classify burrows based on seasonal occupancy. Characteristics relating to thermal and security cover, along with features that could correlate with prolonged usage, were measured across winter, natal and summer burrows. Winter and natal burrows showed greater vegetation cover than summer burrows, potentially indicating increased thermal protection and predator avoidance. However, for winter burrows, greater vegetation cover did not translate into warmer, winter subterranean temperatures compared to summer burrows. Winter and natal burrows also had larger soil fans and, in the case of natal burrows, also had more entrances than summer burrows. These features may be indicative of prolonged usage. All told, it appeared summer burrows were distinguishable from winter and natal burrows based on the dimensions and construction of the burrow, location and surrounding vegetation. However, because badgers are capable of modifying their environment (including existing burrows) it is difficult to make precise predictions of where certain burrow types will occur. Still, the results of this study allow protection efforts or other management considerations to be apportioned more effectively among different burrow types. Comparable work is needed in other regions to understand how burrow characteristics spatially vary in importance.
Highlights
The identification of ‘critical habitat’ has become a common focus of conservation planning for many species at risk
Burrows occupied during long periods in the winter (Harlow 1981) and during spring natal periods (Messick and Hornocker 1981) are undoubtedly ‘residences’, but it is unclear if these burrows can be differentiated from those used for more transient purposes, such as summer burrows that may be used as little as one night at a time (Messick and Hornocker 1981, Paulson 2007)
Snow depths at NB were significantly less than other burrows; there was no difference between Winter burrows (WB) and SB
Summary
The identification of ‘critical habitat’ has become a common focus of conservation planning for many species at risk. A key question that remains is whether burrows used at different times of the year (e.g. winter or natal burrows) have discriminating characteristics. As winter is a critical period for northern mammals (Marchand 1996), burrows used during this time presumably should have characteristics that increase insulation, as reported for other mammalian species (Davis 1996, Hwang et al 2007, Ross et al 2010). Features such as higher shrub and snow cover may create warmer burrow temperatures (Liston et al 2002). We focused our efforts on examining potential differences at a fourth order (i.e. burrow site) spatial scale (Johnson 1980)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
