Page 55 - Atlas Of The World's Strangest Animals

RATEL 55

Comparisons

Ratels and Sunda stink badgers (Mydaus javanensis) inhabit very
different worlds. Ratels are the more successful of the two species,
ranging from Africa to the Middle East and southern Asia.The Sunda
Sunda stink badger
stink badgers, which are smaller, are confined to the Indonesian islands
of Java, Sumatra, North Natuna and Borneo. Both of these amiable-
looking mammals are nocturnal hunters, emerging from their burrows
just after dusk to feed.

Ratel

of a puff adder’s mouth before tackling the snake itself. Ratel habitats
After being bitten, the ratel collapsed but later recovered to
continued eating!

Big and clever
What’s in a name? In the case of the ratel, very little!
Ratels are also known as honey badgers although they
aren’t badgers at all.Their closest relatives are skunks and,
like all members of the Mustelidae family, ratels live up
this group’s smelly reputation. Scent marking is their main
form of communication, and a male’s daily patrol regularly
takes him to the neighbourhood latrine. Here he’ll mark
his territory and check to see if any females in his range
are ready to mate.
When it comes to the honey part of their name, though,
these clever creatures really do have a surprisingly sweet
tooth. Ratels are skilled hunters with a reputation for
tackling some of nature’s prickliest and most poisonous
species.They are known to prey on at least 65 different
animals, including scorpions, porcupines, young crocodiles
and even venomous snakes, but honey is a firm favourite. people did – that, by following a bird known as a
Ratels are big, powerful beasts, with razor-sharp claws honeyguide, they’ll always find a well-stocked hive. (And
and a hefty 14kg (30.9lb) bulk to throw behind any the bird gets to enjoy the honey once the ratel has had
enterprise. If you happen to be a raiding bee hive, then it enough!) In fact, they are so smart that they’re one of the
also helps to have a skin thick enough to deflect bee few mammals recognized as ‘tool users’, often employing
stings! However, the secret to the ratels’ success is more logs, twigs or rocks in surprisingly inventive ways to help
about brains than brawn. Ratels have learnt – just like to them access a tasty treat.

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