Variations in Badger (Meles meles) Sett Microclimate: Differential Cub Survival between Main and Subsidiary Setts, with Implications for Artificial Sett Construction

摘要: Maintaining homeothermy is essential for mammals, but has considerable energetic costs. In this study, we monitored the internal conditions of setts within five European badger (Meles meles) social groups during cub-rearing season, that is, February to July, in 2004. Sett temperature showed substantial and significant variation over period, while relative humidity remained stable throughout. Microclimate was least period which cubs remain entirely below ground between April; however here instrumented main sett demonstrated a much warmer more regime than did nearby subsidiary outliers. We thus postulate energy budget reproducing females could be affected by even small fluctuations, militating optimal choice. For comparison also report microclimatic data from two artificial found them markedly inferior terms thermal insulative properties, suggesting man-made may need careful consideration both spatial network each territory adequately compensate loss (e.g., destruction due development) natural sett, especially as breeding den.