Density-Dependent Regulation of Body Mass and Condition in Badgers (Meles Meles) From Wytham Woods

Abstract

Body mass and an index of condition for badgers (Meles meles) in a highdensity population (Wytham Woods, UK) were examined between 1990 and 1997 and compared with the size of the groups with which individuals were associated. Both body mass and condition decreased as centered group size increased. Fecundity also declined with increasing centered group size. Female badgers exhibited the greatest effects of densitydependent constraints on body mass and condition in autumn, whereas for males the effect was most pronounced in spring.

Social group size affects Mycobacterium bovis infection in European badgers (Meles meles)

“…2000); demographic modelling would be needed to determine whether such mortality would be sufficient to suppress group size. Since females in smaller groups experience higher fecundity (Woodroffe & Macdonald 1995; Macdonald et al . 2002) and potentially higher cub survival (Woodroffe & Macdonald 2000) than females in larger groups, increased recruitment might compensate for elevated mortality.…”

“…Effects of group size on M. bovis infection could operate through susceptibility as well as through exposure. Badgers in larger social groups have lower body weights (Rogers, Cheeseman & Langton 1997; Macdonald et al . 2002), suggesting that they may be nutritionally stressed and therefore potentially susceptible to infection (Dai, Phalen & McMurray 1998).…”

Long-term resource variation and group size: A large-sample field test of the Resource Dispersion Hypothesis

“…A specific change in the regulation of group sizes during the study period has been suggested [7,54,59] which may also have introduced noise into the data. Finally, it must be remembered that a lack of strong relationships in some cases may be because we can only approximate the total sum of earthworm availability.…”

“…Adult badger group sizes were estimated from trapping studies conducted since 1974 [7,11,21,39,54,59,71,81]. Where possible, we analysed data from all years in which it was collected.…”

“…However, other species, including the European badger in particular, do not appear to gain any such benefits of living in a group. Badgers do not forage in groups [4], or benefit from alloparental care [5]; rather, female reproductive success, and the body condition of both sexes, is lower in larger groups [6,7]. Instead, the focus in the literature has therefore been to seek alternative explanations for why the badger, as an otherwise 'antisocial' species, aggregates in large communally living groups [8-10].…”