A honey badger is mostly black. A wide gray-white stripe runs along its back. Some people call it a ratel.
Honey badgers live in Africa and in parts of Asia. Some live in rain forests. Some live in deserts.
A honey badger is in the weasel family. Skunks, otters and other badgers are in the family too.
A honey badger digs with long, strong claws. They are on its front feet. It can close its ears to keep dirt out.
Honey badgers eat honey and bee grubs. They eat insects too.
Its skin is thick and loose. If something grabs it, the skin lets it wriggle free.
It has a gland at the base of its tail. The gland makes a strong smell.
Most honey badgers live alone. They sleep in burrows and other hiding places, curled up in a ball.
A mother usually has just one cub at a time. She raises it in a burrow. No other adults help her.
Words to know
- burrow: a hole home
- gland: a body part
- ratel: honey badger
- cub: baby animal
