What do badgers do in winter?
They slow down. The People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) describes badgers as much less active in winter, with a body temperature that may drop slightly. On cold, frosty nights a badger may stay underground in its bedding-lined chamber. When the weather turns mild, it comes out to forage again. Badgers are recorded in every month of the year.
How do badgers prepare for winter?
They feed up in autumn. A badger that weighs 8–9 kg in spring can reach 11–12 kg by autumn, according to the Mammal Society. That extra fat carries it through the leaner winter weeks. Autumn is also when badgers drag fresh bedding, such as dry grass and leaves, into the sett.
What is the difference between hibernating and what badgers do?
True hibernators such as hedgehogs go into a deep, long sleep, with body temperature and heart rate falling sharply for weeks at a time. Badgers stay alert enough to wake and forage between cold spells, so they are said to be dormant or simply less active, not hibernating.
Is anything else happening in the sett in winter?
Yes. Winter is when next year's cubs begin to develop. Badger Trust explains that a fertilised egg waits in a paused state for months, then implants in the womb around December or early January. Cubs are born underground about seven weeks later, mostly in February.
Can I see badgers in winter?
It's possible but harder. Badgers emerge less often and later at night, and leafless woods make watchers easier to spot. Late spring and summer are much better for watching.