EJPAU 2011. Kochan J. , Kruszyński W. , Kopij G. OBSERWATIONS OF BADGERS’ (<I>MELES MELES</I>) BEHAVIOUR NEAR THE SETT IN STOBRAWA LANDSCAPE PARK (SOUTH

Electronic Journal of Polish Agricultural Universities (EJPAU) founded by all Polish Agriculture Universities presents original papers and review articles relevant to all aspects of agricultural sciences. It is target for persons working both in science and industry,regulatory agencies or teaching in agricultural sector. Covered by IFIS Publishing (Food Science and Technology Abstracts), ELSEVIER Science - Food Science and Technology Program, CAS USA (Chemical Abstracts), CABI Publishing UK and ALPSP (Association of Learned and Professional Society Publisher - full membership). Presented in the Master List of Thomson ISI.

2011
Volume 14
Issue 2

Topic:

Veterinary Medicine

ELECTRONIC
JOURNAL OF
POLISH
AGRICULTURAL
UNIVERSITIES

Kochan J. , Kruszyński W. , Kopij G. 2011. OBSERWATIONS OF BADGERS’ (MELES MELES) BEHAVIOUR NEAR THE SETT IN STOBRAWA LANDSCAPE PARK (SOUTH – WESTERN POLAND), EJPAU 14(2), #11.
Available Online: http://www.ejpau.media.pl/volume14/issue2/abs-11.html

OBSERWATIONS OF BADGERS’ (MELES MELES) BEHAVIOUR NEAR THE SETT IN STOBRAWA LANDSCAPE PARK (SOUTH – WESTERN POLAND)

Joanna Kochan, Wojciech Kruszyński, Grzegorz Kopij
Department of Genetics and Animal Breeding, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Poland

ABSTRACT

From winter 2006 to spring 2008 we studied badgers' behaviour (Meles meles) at the main sett. The study was conducted in the Stobrawa Landscape Park (south – western Poland). Badgers' behaviour could be analyse: in the sett (underground), near the sett and on foraging grounds. The aim of this study was to recognise this predator behaviour in SLP. We were interested whether badgers behavior depends on the environmental conditions, especially on the population density. Most of this type
of research had been conducted in western Europe, where badgers occur in high densities (e.g. 75 individuals/10 km² [10]; 253 ind/10 km² [19]). In central and eastern Europe, badgers' densities seem generally lower, with mean group size of only one to three [5,13]. The badgers in our study were living at low densities, typically to many populations in continental Europe.
We wanted to test hypothesis that differences in population densities across their geographic distribution may result in different behaviour near the sett. Our results have shown that badgers' behaviour changed during the whole year. Various activities near the burrow took, depending on the season, from several minutes to several hours. Some behaviours were season – specific.

Key words: badger, Meles meles, density, foraging behaviour, activity.

Joanna Kochan
Department of Genetics and Animal Breeding,
Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Poland
Kożuchowska 7, 51-631 Wrocław, Poland
email: joanna.kochan@up.wroc.pl

Wojciech Kruszyński
Department of Genetics and Animal Breeding,
Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Poland
Kożuchowska 7, 51-631 Wrocław, Poland
email: wojciech.kruszynski@up.wroc.pl

Grzegorz Kopij
Department of Genetics and Animal Breeding,
Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Poland
Kożuchowska 5B, 51-631 Wrocław, Poland
email: grzegorz.kopij@up.wroc.pl

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