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Ratel, honey badger - MELLIVORA CAPENSIS
Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
The Name "Ratel": "Ratel" is the Afrikaans (South African Dutch) word for the animal. "Badger" is of unknown origin, although it might be related to the word "badge," as its markings could look like a "badge." This seems a long stretch, however.
Location: Africa south of the Sahara, southwestern Asia to India.
Habitat: Terrestrial. All types of habitat, from savanna to forest.
Description: The ratel is similar to the European badger: its body is thickset and compact, its head is large, and its feet are powerful with strong claws. The upper back varies from gray to white and contrasts sharply with the black underside. The color pattern varies geographically. The tail is short and often held upright; it is black on the underside. The length of the head and body is 10 to 12 inches with the tail about the same. The weight is about 25 pounds.
Behavior: This brave creature will not hesitate to attack animals much larger than itself. It lives alone or in pairs, and is nocturnal. It digs large burrows in the ground. It is omnivorous; feeding on insects, plant matter, and small vertebrates. It seems to prefer honey and bee larvae, often climbing into trees to find suspended hives. It is impervious to bee stings because of a thick layer of subcutaneous fat.
Reproduction: The gestation period lasts about six months and usually two young are born in each litter.
Note: The honey badger will often use the calls of the honeyeater, a bird whose presence indicates that bees are nearby, to find hives.
Go to the Carnivore Page to learn more about all the meat-eating animals.
Or go to the Badger Index to study other
badgers.
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