Badgers can be found throughout Europe and in parts of Asia. In Britain they are most common in the South and South West of England. Being shy animals, badgers are rarely seen, they live underground in a sett, and usually only appear after dark.
January: Female badgers are pregnant. Badger activity is irregular this month.
February: This is the peak time for cub births. It is also the height of the badger’s mating season.
March: Badgers are now very active. As a result many are killed by road traffic at this time of year. At the sett, much bedding collection takes place.
April: Cubs are now exploring their setts, right up to the entrance holes. Many will emerge for the first time this month.
May: Badger cubs are now exploring the areas around their setts, making May a good month to start badger watching.
June: Most cubs should be weaned by the end of this month. However in dry weather, mothers may suckle their cubs for longer. Badgers will emerge in daylight in undisturbed areas.
July: Cubs are now around half the weight of an adult badger, and are finding food for themselves. Droughts may lead to more badgers being killed by road traffic.
August: Badgers do a lot of digging at their setts this month. If earthworms are scarce badgers will take other foods such as cereals and fruits.
September: This month many badgers will be gathering bedding material and taking it down into their setts. This is part of their preparations for winter.
October: Feeding is the main priority for badgers this month, as badgers need to put on fat to see them through the winter. Fortunately there are now lots of fruits for badgers to eat.
November: Badger activity levels gradually decline during November. The badgers start coming out later, and there is very little mating activity.
December: Badgers may spend a lot of time sleeping in their setts this month. Because of this, few badgers are killed by road traffic. The fertilised eggs of female badgers now implant in the uterus and start developing.