VIDEO: Nest cleanliness is important

Submitted by Looduskalender EN on Wed, 16.03.2016 - 09:13
Autorid

Video recorded by  Lusy, LK forum

Image from webcam captured by  IceAge, LK forum

Translation Liis

 

Body

Badger; European badger       Mäger        Meles meles

 

At least every other day we see how our adult badgers bring in more nest material, dried in the spring air.

Badgers maintain a remarkable cleanliness in their den and a human will not notice any particular smell on sniffing at the opening. If a latrine hole (they are small dug-out holes) near the den opening becomes full it is covered with soil and a new hole is dug. A latrine inside the den in a blind side tunnel is used during the winter and it will be carefully closed when it is full. If cubs really have been born in the den then of course fresh bedding material is needed.

During the winter sleep, badgers have lost about half of their autumn body weight, weighing about 8 kilos in early spring. Somewhat larger males weigh a little more and the females, with body length of less than 80 centimetres, a little less; females do not grow longer than the stated length.

Badgers as other forest residents mark their home territory with scent marks.

Soon we will introduce another aspect of the Animal of the Year and Tiit Hunt will write about badger calls. At the moment, we are a group that have equipped three badger dens with trail cameras and quite a lot of interesting - but sometimes also controversial - information accumulates already in a week.

Mäger

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