Honey Badgers Don't Care
Honey Badgers Don’t Care
One of the most interesting creatures that I have learned about from the internet would be the honey badger. Honey badgers, also known as ratel, are a weasel type of creature, native to Africa, Southwest Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. Being called a honey badger, one would think it was an animal similar to a badger, when in fact it is more like a weasel. The honey badger is the only species of the genus Mellivora. Originally in the 1860s it was assigned to the badger subfamily Melinae, however since it has very few similarities to the Melinae, it was assigned its own subfamily the Mellivorinae.
Honey badgers have a fairly long body but are thick and broad across the back. Their skin is very loose. This enables them to twist and turn more freely. Their head is flat and small with a short muzzle. Their eyes are small and their ears are not very big, possibly to allow them to avoid damage from fights. Male honey badgers can weigh up to 35lbs while female honey badgers usually only get up to 22lbs. Most of the honey badger’s body is covered in coarse dark brown or black hair and some have a pure white band.
The most well-known fact about honey badger is their ferocity. Honey badgers are listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the “World’s Most Fearless Creature.” The main reason they are called honey badgers is because they like to eat honey. They have no problem going into an African honey bee hive to get this honey. Honey badgers will hunt a variety of different animals. If it is weaker than them, even if it’s not, they will attempt to eat it. Some of the animals that honey badgers will eat include porcupines, meerkats, insects, snakes, gazelles and even baby crocodiles. There is one story of a honey badger eating a deadly African Puff Adder. The African Puff Adder is one of the most deadly snakes in Africa. It possesses
One of the most interesting creatures that I have learned about from the internet would be the honey badger. Honey badgers, also known as ratel, are a weasel type of creature, native to Africa, Southwest Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. Being called a honey badger, one would think it was an animal similar to a badger, when in fact it is more like a weasel. The honey badger is the only species of the genus Mellivora. Originally in the 1860s it was assigned to the badger subfamily Melinae, however since it has very few similarities to the Melinae, it was assigned its own subfamily the Mellivorinae.
Honey badgers have a fairly long body but are thick and broad across the back. Their skin is very loose. This enables them to twist and turn more freely. Their head is flat and small with a short muzzle. Their eyes are small and their ears are not very big, possibly to allow them to avoid damage from fights. Male honey badgers can weigh up to 35lbs while female honey badgers usually only get up to 22lbs. Most of the honey badger’s body is covered in coarse dark brown or black hair and some have a pure white band.
The most well-known fact about honey badger is their ferocity. Honey badgers are listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the “World’s Most Fearless Creature.” The main reason they are called honey badgers is because they like to eat honey. They have no problem going into an African honey bee hive to get this honey. Honey badgers will hunt a variety of different animals. If it is weaker than them, even if it’s not, they will attempt to eat it. Some of the animals that honey badgers will eat include porcupines, meerkats, insects, snakes, gazelles and even baby crocodiles. There is one story of a honey badger eating a deadly African Puff Adder. The African Puff Adder is one of the most deadly snakes in Africa. It possesses
Cited: Wildlife Conservation Society (2006, February 2). From Lions To Honey Badgers: Report Lists Top 20 Most-vulnerable African Carnivores. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 14, 2013, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/02/060202080649.htm"The African Honey Badger, World 's Most Fearless Animal | InformAfrica.com." InformAfrica.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. . Baxamusa, Batul Nafisa. Buzzle.com. Buzzle.com, 05 Oct. 2011. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. . Hiller, Courney. "Animal Diversity Web." ADW: Mellivora Capensis: INFORMATION. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, 1999. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. "Honey Badger (Mellivora Capensis)." Honey Badger Videos, Photos and Facts. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. . "Honey Badger." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 8 Oct. 2013. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. . "Honey Badgers @ National Geographic Magazine." Honey Badgers @ National Geographic Magazine. National Geographic Magazine, Sept. 2004. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. . "Mammals | Honey Badger (Ratel)." Honey Badger (Ratel). San Diego Zoo, n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. . "Ratel." African Wildlife Foundation. African Wildlife Foundation, n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. . "Ratel (mammal)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2013. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. .