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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Jess WardORCiD, Professor Aileen MillORCiD, Emeritus Professor Stephen Rushton
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
© The Author(s) 2026.The order Carnivora is dominated by solitary predatory species, yet sociality exists across about 10–15% of species within the order. The European Badger (Meles meles) is a medium sized carnivore that exhibits broad plasticity in its tendency to form social groups. Across its range, populations may exist as individuals, pairs, families and multi-generational groups. The rationale for group living among species of this order has been the subject of much study. Several hypotheses have been put forward to explain group living in the species including the role of drivers such as territory defence and resource availability. However very little attention has been paid to the fact that many of these putative drivers of sociality are not independent of one another. Using data from a long-term study in the south-west of England we have shown how the direct and indirect drivers impact the environment in which a badger resides. The strength of individual drivers on territory and group size is mediated through interactions with other variables. Both environmental and demographic variables such as, habitat, weather and number of animals in neighbouring territories are shown to have an important influence and their effects can be across multiple scales. Further investigation of these complex indirect pathways will help to improve our understanding of group living in this species.
Author(s): Ward JKR, Mill A, Robertson A, Delahay RJ, Rushton S
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: European Journal of Wildlife Research
Year: 2026
Volume: 72
Issue: 1
Online publication date: 07/01/2026
Acceptance date: 27/12/2025
Date deposited: 26/01/2026
ISSN (print): 1612-4642
ISSN (electronic): 1439-0574
Publisher: Springer
URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-025-02047-7
DOI: 10.1007/s10344-025-02047-7
Data Access Statement: All data supporting the findings of this study will be available upon publication
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