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48.22ºN
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earth
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mammals
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group
3.5 m3
at 0 m
48.22ºN
earth
digging
rough
mammals
Austria
Vienna, Augarten
48.2263°N, 16.3781° E
02/04/2025, 2:10 pm
Provided by Fiona Haller and Flora Herberth
The European badger is the largest native badger species in Europe and belongs to the mustelid family. The scientific name is Meles meles. It inhabits underground setts that are often used for generations and shows characteristic digging behavior. Badgers are opportunistic omnivores, preferring earthworms but also feeding on insects, snails, fruit, and grain. They live in social groups of two to twenty animals within territories of 100 to 300 hectares. Typical signs include scratch marks, clawed footprints, and latrines.
During the day, the badger retreats into a special chamber known as the cauldron. Unlike similar structures in other animals, such as foxes, this resting area is lined with foliage and moss, providing extra insulation. In winter, the badger uses the cauldron for a state of torpor, an energy-saving dormancy in which activity decreases but body temperature is maintained. The stable microclimate of the sett reliably shields the animal from external weather conditions.
A badger sett is built in loose, easily diggable soil, often on slopes or forest edges. The entrances are dug directly into the earth, creating stable tunnels and chambers. Roots of nearby trees help reinforce the structure, while leaves, moss, and grass are carried inside to line sleeping chambers, providing insulation and comfort for resting or hibernating badgers.
Meles meles is widespread across Europe and temperate Asia, from lowlands to over 2,000 m. Its adaptability and modest diet allow it to thrive in forests, farmland, and urban green spaces. Badgers play a key role through burrowing, which aerates and enriches soil. This sett was found in Vienna’s Augarten, which contains the city’s oldest Baroque park and two massive ruins formerly used as anti-aircraft defence (flak towers) during World War II.
The badger sett is dug into loose forest soil and reinforced by surrounding tree roots. Several entrances lead into an underground network of tunnels and chambers, some lined with leaves and moss for insulation. Such structures can extend over many meters, offering safe shelter for social groups of badgers and serving as long-term habitats used for generations.
