While honey badgers are frequently reported to have litters of more than two cubs (Neal & Cheeseman 1996; Estes 1992), little evidence to substantiate these claims could be found. In the Kalahari only one cub was raised at a time, though badgers have been recorded with two offspring on occasion (Johnstone- Scott 1981; Skinner & Smithers 1990; Rosevear 1974; Fourie pers. comm.).

We (www.badgerland.co.uk) are a web-site aimed at helping the badger in the UK. We provide information away (for free) about the badger and how to help out. We also support various Badger Groups (and other charities) in the UK to help them gain members and funds; and to help their badgers. All this work is funded by us as we love badgers. To help defray our expenses, we hope some of you will visit our Badgerland Shop. Here we link to Amazon in the UK.

shown in the last answer, badgers eat a wide variety of foods so the chances are that they will eat most of what you put out for them (or for the birds, or hedgehogs, or the dog!). But a word of caution. When foraging in the wild badgers will eat a wide range of foods giving them a naturally balanced and healthy diet. If you only ever feed one type of food, and in such quantities that they come to rely on it as a regular food source, this will upset their naturally balanced diet.

No, not in the sense that hedgehogs hibernate. Badgers will put on a lot of weight in the autumn to see them through the lean winter months, when earth worms and other foods are harder to come by. During the winter months they sleep deeper and longer, and in very wet or cold weather they may stay underground for days at a time.

Yes, but sociable within their own family group (clan). Adolescent males will leave their birth setts at a year old to establish new territories and look for mates from other social groups. Fights (almost always between two males or two females) can cause severe injuries, typically to the neck and back, just above the tail. There is normally a clear 'pecking order' within a social group.

In common with most mammals badgers are able to swim, but they usually try to avoid doing so. They will go out of their way to make use of bridges across streams and rivers, and will utilise fallen trees if available. Instances have been reported of badgers making use of a suitable tree fallen across a stream over many years, to the point where the bark was worn away and the top surface polished smooth by the passage of feet over many years.

Also, we haven't enough suitable land for badgers, but there are badgers near us, if you know where to look!

Tasmanian devils have four nipples, so the females can only rear a maximum of four young. Usually there are three or four young - more, indeed, in the first year of breeding, less in the second and third year of breeding. Very few Tasmanian devils breed for four years. However, like quolls, Tasmanian devils give birth to up to twenty or thirty young at a time despite only having four nipples! Obviously, only a maximum of four of these can attach to a teat.

I believe Doug MacPh and Gregg Turk will be doing it, unfortunately I can not. If you're going please reply to this 'post' and say when you might arrive. We're looking for someone to put up road signs & etc.

The Honey badger has been referred to as "the meanest animal in the world", and they are often considered to have no enemies, apart from man. However, in reality there are a number of records of them being killed by lion, leopard and on one occasion an African rock python.

Honey badgers are reputed to go for the scrotum when attacking large animals. The first published record of this behaviour was a circumstantial account by Stevenson- Hamilton (1947) where a badger reportedly castrated an adult Buffalo. Other animals alleged to have been emasculated by honey badgers include wildebeest, waterbuck, kudu, zebra and man. This has also been reported by other African tribes, but no direct evidence exists to support this behaviour.

Honey badgers may be found in the following zoos: Bloemfontein Zoo (South Africa); Howletts Zoo (England); Johannesburg Zoo (South Africa); Zoological Center Tel-Aviv (Israel); Tel-Aviv University Zoo (Israel); Nehru Zoological Park (India); Riyadh Zoological Gardens (Saudi Arabia), Sharjah Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildife, United Arab Emirates, San Diego Zoological Garden, California, USA

There are reputed to be as many as 10 subspecies of honey badgers, but most of these are based on variations in pelage colour and external characteristics and it suspected that these do not constitute actual subspecies. Genetic analysis is currently being carried out at Stellenbosch University, South Africa.

Although some authors state that that honey badgers have webbed feet (Estes 1992; Burton 1835; Sclater 1900) there appears to be no evidence to support this. Honey badgers are however considered to be good swimmers (Kingdon 1977).

Some authors have suggested that badgers are poor climbers (Cornish 1916; Bryden 1900; Wood 1876) and are therefore unable to reach wild beehives (Dean 1985). However, provided that the surface is rough and wide enough to grasp, adults are competent climbers and in the southern Kalahari have been seen to remove a variety of raptor chicks from their nests, including Whitebacked vultures (Begg & Begg 2000a; Marlow 1983).

It has been reported that honey badgers will play dead when wounded (Kingdon 1977; Estes 1992). Recently a badger was found lying on the edge of a road in the Phinda Game Reserve (Kwazulu Natal, South Africa). This individual appeared to be dead, but on closer inspection it chased the observer around his vehicle. This badger may have simply recovered from a case of concussion (D. Varty personal communication). No evidence for badgers shaming death were observed in the Kalahari.

Badgers will certainly scavenge from carcasses, leopard kills and baits set by hunters. They are opportunistic carnivores and can also become a nuisance by raiding refuse bins in campsites (e.g. Mana Pools National Park and Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, Kruger National Park, South Africa).

In captivity honey badgers can live up to 24 years but in the wild are only likely to live 7-8 years, may be less. Old honey badger teeth are badly worn and these individuals are probably more likely to be killed by predators.

It is a crime to kill, injure, capture or mistreat a badger and also to damage or disturb a badger's sett in any way. See the badger law page. If badgers are a nuisance in your garden, it may be possible to exclude them using special badger-proof fencing but this is expensive. Normal fencing will not stop them. Badgers usually come to gardens because you or a neighbour are providing food.