Abstract
European badgers (Meles meles) in medium and high density populations show strong territorial behaviour. Territories in these populations are contiguous, well-marked and often unchanging over many years. However, badgers do not always stay within their territorial boundaries. In our medium-density population, most individual badgers made extra-territorial excursions (ETEs) throughout the year. ETEs were most frequent between April and September and least frequent in December and January (the period of winter lethargy). Male badgers made longer and more frequent ETEs than females (especially between January and March, and in autumn). Breeding females made longer and more frequent ETEs than non-breeding females in November. While these peaks correspond with the main mating seasons, mating activity does not explain ETEs throughout the year. The shorter, but more frequent, ETEs in summer months may serve a monitoring purpose, rather than simply providing additional mating opportunities with badgers from outside the ‘home’ social group. We found that young badgers did not make regular ETEs until the summer of their second year. If badgers could be vaccinated as cubs, this would reduce any potential risk of TB spread during ETEs.
Highlights
In the classic view of badger social organisation[1,2], badgers live in social groups, which share a communal territorial space
The data from the study were considered in three ways: (1) the proportion of male and female badgers making extra-territorial excursions (ETEs) across the year; (2) the frequency with which the badgers in the study made ETEs, and how that varied with season, age and sex; (3) the distance of ETEs made by badgers of each age and sex cohort, and how that varied with season
Female badgers showed a longer period of lower ETE activity (44–67% of females made ETEs between October and March), which contrasted with a period of higher ETE activity (88–100% of females made ETEs between April and September)
Summary
In the classic view of badger social organisation[1,2], badgers live in social groups, which share a communal territorial space. As female badgers can delay the implantation of fertilised eggs[8] and allow the development of different embryos at different times (i.e. superfetation)[11], they are released from the limitation of seasonal breeding cycles It would, appear that female badgers would be as likely as males to benefit from visits to other social groups for extra-group matings, at any time of year. A study at Woodchester Park (Gloucestershire) has demonstrated seasonal variation in social interactions between social groups[29] This indicates that classical territorial borders[2,30] are frequently breached by ETEs, so are far more permeable than originally thought
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