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Description
Honey Badger or ratel Pronounced As: ratl,
is about 2 ft (61 cm) long excluding the tail, it has a coat that is black on the lower half of the body and pale gray above. The honey badger resembles its distant relative the skunk in coloration and in the possession of an anal scent gland.
The honey badger has short legs and stout claws and is a strong burrower and a good climber.
Reproduction
Honey badgers travel singly or in pairs.
In the honey badgers of West Asia
matings occur in autumn and births after about six months in
spring; in Africa matings have been reported in various
months. Litter size ranges from 1 to 4, but the average is
two. They can reportedly live to be from
20 to 24 years of age.
Habits
It is nocturnal, feeds on rodents, reptiles, and insects, and has a thick loose coat that protects it against snake bites and insect stings. The honey badger collaborates with the
honeyguide, or indicator bird, in obtaining honey, a favorite food. The bird searches for a bee colony, and when one is found, the honey badger rips it open. The bird and the honey badger then share the honey.
They are omnivorous
and will also eat insects, rodents, birds, eggs, snakes,
roots, fruits and tubers.
General
It is related to the wolverine and martens, as shown by the resemblance in
teeth. The honey badger resembles in fossorial (adapted
to digging) form and perhaps in its fierce disposition the true badgers.
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