ratel

(also called ‘honey badger’)

a kind of animal – mammal – four-legged – (mostly) meat-eating – nocturnal (active at night) – related to the weasel family – stocky, muscular that seems flat and low to the ground with long loose fur (hair) white, grey or silver on the back, from forehead to the tail, and black on the rest of the body, cone-shaped head with long muzzle, broad forehead, no external ears (internal ears that can be closed at will), sharp teeth, short stout legs with strong sharp claws, medium-sized tail; size: 2-2½ feet long including 10 inch-long tail, 10 inch tall at the shoulder, and weight: 10-12 kg; feeds on (eats) mostly rodents, small reptiles including snakes, frogs, fish, insects, carrion (= dead animals), and fruit and honey; lives for 20-25 years; two species – African and Asian – found in parts of Africa and parts of Asia

male ~~ boar (?)

female ~~ sow (?)

baby ~~ cub, kit (?)

group ~~ cete (?)

voice (call) ~~ {no particular name, but known to imitate (mimic) the calls of ‘honey birds’}

home ~~ burrow

Special Features:

Though a meat-eating animal, the ratel loves to eat honey so much that it imitates or mimics the calls of the ‘honey guide’ birds which guide it to the nests of the honey bees, and the ratel breaks open the comb and eats away the honey while the bird feeds on the dead bees, grub and the honey wax!  The ratel is also called ‘honey badger’ for its love of honey!

The ratel is said to have the courage of a lion – attacking or defending itself from the larger animals ferociously!

The long loose fur (hair) of the ratel protects it from the snake bites, porcupine quills and even bee stings!!

Ratels give out foul-smelling liquid from the back of its body (anus) to discourage its predators (= animals that kill and eat it), like a skunk!

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