12 facts about honey badgers
- Honey badgers are so named because they will attack bee hives and eat the honey inside.
- The Honey badger is the most fearless animal in the world. It will approach and track animals much bigger than itself.
- The scientific name of the honey badger is "Mellivora capensis."
- The honey badger has very loose skin that allows it to twist and turn even if bitten by a predator.
- Honey badgers are nocturnal animals that hunt their prey at night. They will eat birds, fish, amphibians and honey, as well as small mammals and reptiles.
- Honey badgers are not part of the badger subfamily but are more closely related to weasels.
- Eventhough a badger cub might be 2-3 kg larger than their mother, they are still entirely dependent on her for food.
- Regardless of its fierce temperament, the honey badger's low birth rate makes it vulnerable to hunting and habitat destruction.
- Ratel is Afrikaans, from Middle Dutch, rattle, honeycomb (either from its cry or its taste for honey).
- The honey badger can withstand the venom of a snakebite that could kill an elephant.
- This badger has a pair of anal glands can emit a profuse, unpleasant secretion, often used to mark out territory.
- The honey badger has thick skin which is almost 6mm thick at the back of his neck.
