Honey Badger Plush Toys
Find Honey Badger stuffed animals, facts and information at Animals N More.
The little plush Honey Badger Cuddlekins stuffed animals are made by Wild Republic. The honey badger figurine is from Safari Ltd. You can find Honey Badger toys in our sponsor's online Gift Shop.
The Ratel (Mellivora capensis) is found throughout Africa and Asia Minor and southern Asis. Also called the Honey Badger it enjoys a reputation of a fearless and desperate fighter. It is a powerful, thickset animal about the size of a badger, with tiny ears. In color it is usually gray or white on the back and jet black below; as you might suppose from its skunklike color scheme, it is protected from many of its enemies by its fetid discharge.
The ratel is at home in the rocky hills, on the grassy plains, and in the forests (though it does not climb trees). Armed with powerful claws, it can tear down termite nests and anthills to get at the larvae; reptiles, rodents, rabbits, and birds, as well as fruit, are also included in its diet.
The honey badger's thick hide, which covers its body like a loose coat of rubber, is impervious alike to the fangs of venomous snakes, the quills of porcupines, and the stings of bees. The animal is partial to honey in particular, and forms an interesting association with the little bird known as the Honey-Guide. On discovering a bees' nest, this bird emits a series of high-pitched notes that are recognized by the ratel. Following the cries of the bird, the animal soon discovers the bees' nest and proceeds to tear it apart, gorging itself on the young bees and honey. The bird, too, comes in for a share of the feast, which it could not have without the aid of the ratel.
Its hunger satisfied, the honey badger lies down in a den among the rocks or in a hole in the ground. It is not a social creature and travels either singly or in pairs. The female gives birth to a litter of only two cubs six months after mating, which explains why the honey badger is never very common anywhere. It does have a rather long life expectancy for a member of the weasel family: the ratel has been known to live over 23 years in captivity.
Class: Mammalia | Order: Carnivora | Family: Mustelidae | Genus: Mellivora | Species: M. capensis
