Adaptations

Armed with semi-retractile claws up to 40mm long, honey badgers are exceptional diggers. They can excavate a burrow large enough to disappear into within minutes, and dig out burrowing prey such as ground squirrels, lizards, and scorpions with ease. They dig over 50 burrows in a single territory, rarely sleeping in the same hole twice.

A honey badger's skin is about 6mm thick and exceptionally tough — resistant to arrows, spears, and even machete cuts. Its skin is also remarkably loose, allowing the animal to twist almost 180 degrees inside it to bite an attacker that is gripping it. This adaptation makes them nearly impossible to hold or restrain.