The European badger (Meles meles) is a representative of the mustelid family. Its characteristic is the digging of underground tunnels called setts, which are used for daily rest, mating and shelter. In our research, conducted from February to July, 2017, we monitored five active badger's setts with automatic cameras in the area of Jošt - Kranj hunting ground. For the analyzes, we also used already existing data obtained with automatic cameras in the Special purpose hunting ground Ljubljanski vrh. In addition, we measured temperatures in the winter and summer periods of 2017 with automatic temperature loggers on five inactive badger setts in Jošt - Kranj hunting ground. We analyzed the use of setts by badgers, their mating behavior, circadian activity, and marking behavior. We also recorded the use of setts by other species. Furthermore, we determined how changes in outdoor temperatures affect the temperatures inside the setts, and the influence of the size of the sett entrances on these temperatures. In total, we recorded 1473 badger visits. Marking behavior was most frequent in January and February, coinciding with the mating season. The highest activity of badgers was detected in the first half of the night, and the setts were used every day, mainly for daily rest. The temperatures in the setts were significantly more constant than the outside temperatures, and the size of the sett entrances had a significant effect on the temperature fluctuations in the sett at a depth of 0.5 meters, but less at a depth of 1.5 meters. We found that the setts were also used by other species in addition to the badger. Badgers are ecological engineers who change the natural environment by digging burrows. This creates better and more constant living conditions for many plant and animal species. Many of the ecological characteristics of the badger and its importance as an ecological engineer still remain unexplored.
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