Named for its love of honey, the ratel is a fierce fighter, more than capable of defending itself from cobras, cattle, and bison. Adults stand 10-12 inches at the shoulder and have a heavy, muscular build. Their bodies are thick skinned, approximately 24-30 inches long, and can weigh up to 29 pounds. The ratel has short legs, stout claws, a short, bushy tail, and teeth similar to their closely related cousin, the wolverine.
Ratels have distinct, unique markings.
The back, head and neck areas of covered by coarse, white fur, and the face, legs, belly and short tail are solid black. This gives the ratel a skunk-like appearance. Also like the skunk, ratels are able to emit a foul-smelling liquid to keep them safe from harm. The thick, loose quality of the ratel's coat and skin helps to keep the ratel out of harm's way in the wild. The ratel's skin is unusually tough and attached so loosely to the body, other animals aren't able to penetrate it or grab on to it.