Honey Badger Facts

Honey badgers can reach 2.4 feet in length and weigh between 19 and 26 pounds. They have bushy tail that is usually 12 inches long.

Body is covered with coarse fur. Upper side (from the head to tail) is covered with wide whitish grey stripe. The rest of the body is black or dark brown in color.

Honey badger has muscular body and strong legs with five toes on front and back feet. It has long and sharp claws that are used for attack, defense and for digging of the holes in the ground.

Honey badger has incredible thick skin that cannot be pierced with arrows, spears or even machete. Skin is also very loose, which is useful in the case of attack. When predator grabs a badger, animal rotates in its skin and turns toward predator's face to fight back (attacking its eyes).

Honey badger has very sharp teeth. They can easily break tortoise shell.

Besides its teeth and claws, honey badger uses stinky odor produced in the anal gland to chase away predators. Honey badger is able to chase away lions from their prey and to attack bee hive of killer bees. For all these reasons, honey badger is listed as the most fearless animal in the Guinness books of records.

Honey badger moves in a jog-trot manner, just like horse.

Honey badger is an omnivore (eats plant- and meat-based diet). It consumes honey, honey bee larvae, berries, roots, scorpions, snakes, eggs, tortoises, birds and mammals.

Honey tracker is a bird that guides honey badger to the beehive. It waits for the badger to complete its meal and chase away the bees before it starts to eat bee wax and remaining honey.

Honey badger is active both during the day and night.

Honey badger has few predators: lions, leopards and humans.

Honey badger is territorial and solitary animal. Male occupies territory of 200 square miles that overlaps with smaller territories (50 square miles) of 13 nearby females.

Honey badgers can mate throughout the whole year, but they prefer September and October.

Pregnancy in females lasts 6 to 8 weeks and ends with 1 to 2 babies (kits). Young animals stay with their mother until they reach the age of 16 months.

Honey badger can survive 8 year in the wild and up to 24 years in captivity.