Badgers are nocturnal mammals known for their distinctive black and white facial markings. They spend their days resting in elaborate underground tunnel systems. Badgers construct intricate dwellings that serve as their primary homes for rest and safety throughout their lives.
Badger Underground Homes
Badgers sleep in extensive underground burrow systems known as setts. These homes are found in woodlands, hedgerows, and open fields, often on sloping ground or beneath tree roots. An active sett is identifiable by its characteristic entrance holes, which are wider than they are tall, often described as a sideways D-shape. Large spoil heaps of excavated soil are usually visible outside these entrances, distinguishing them from burrows of other animals like foxes or rabbits.
Inside a Badger Sett
A badger sett is a complex network of tunnels and chambers that can extend for many meters underground. Tunnels are around 30 cm wide and 25 cm high, with a domed roof and flattened base, and are found at depths from 0.5 to 2 meters below the surface. Setts have multiple entrances, some used regularly, while others serve as escape routes or are intermittently active. Badgers create different types of chambers, including sleeping chambers and nesting areas for cubs, often lined with dry bedding material like grass, leaves, or bracken. Badgers are clean animals, maintaining dedicated latrine areas, sometimes located outside the sett or in specific chambers, to keep their living spaces hygienic.
The Importance of Setts
These underground homes are important for badger survival. Setts provide protection from predators, offering a secure refuge. They also offer shelter from harsh weather conditions, shielding badgers from both extreme cold and heat by maintaining a stable internal temperature year-round. The deep, insulated chambers are important during winter, allowing badgers to enter a state of torpor, a deep sleep that conserves energy without true hibernation. Setts also function as nurseries, providing a protected environment for cubs during their early development.
Social Life in the Sett
Badgers are social animals, living in family groups called clans within a single sett system. A typical clan can range from two to twenty individuals, though groups of four to eight are common in the UK. While badgers may have individual sleeping chambers, the overall sett is shared by multiple individuals and often spans multiple generations, with some setts having been continuously occupied for over a century. The communal living arrangement within the sett allows for shared resources and a central point for social interaction. Disused portions of a sett may be temporarily utilized by other animals like rabbits or foxes, though badgers remain the primary residents.