Mammals of the WorldHoney Badger
Mellivora capensis
- Order
- Carnivora
- Family
- Mustelidae
- Genus
- Mellivora
- IUCN status
- LC
- Distribution
- Kazakhstan|Uzbekistan|Turkmenistan|India|Nepal|Pakistan|Iran|Iraq|Syria|Kuwait|Lebanon|Israel|Palestine|Saudi Arabia|Qatar|United Arab Emirates|Oman|Yemen|Egypt|Algeria|Morocco|Mauritania|Mali|Senegal|Gambia|Guinea-Bissau|Guinea|Sierra Leone|Liberia|Cote d'Ivoire|Burkina Faso|Ghana|Togo|Benin|Niger|Nigeria|Chad|Sudan|South Sudan|Cameroon|Central African Republic|Equatorial Guinea|Gabon|Republic of the Congo|Democratic Republic of the Congo|Eritrea|Ethiopia|Somalia|Kenya|Uganda|Rwanda|Burundi|Tanzania|Angola|Zambia|Malawi|Mozambique|Namibia|Botswana|Zimbabwe|South Africa|Eswatini|Lesotho
- Realm
- Afrotropic|Indomalaya
Other names: Ratel
About this species
- Size
- Body 55–77cm; tail 12–30cm; shoulder 23–28cm
- Weight
- Africa: males 9–16kg, females 5–10kg; Indian animals lighter, about 6–8kg
- Diet
- Insects, frogs, tortoises, lizards, rodents, snakes, birds and eggs; raids beehives
- Habitat
- Wide range of habitats, from dry scrub and grassland to forest
- Litter size
- 1–2 cubs, on average
- Gestation
- 50–70 days
The honey badger, or ratel, is thick-set and broad across the back, with short, sturdy legs, very strong claws that are long on the forefeet, a small flat head, and ears that are little more than ridges. Its loose skin lets it twist freely when gripped, and the skin on the neck is about 6 mm thick. Females are smaller than males, and the few Indian animals weighed were small: a female at 6.4 kg and males averaging 8.4 kg (Wikipedia, general species account).
In India studies at Sariska Tiger Reserve and in the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary found it highly nocturnal, and the Indian population is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Across its range it is a mostly solitary animal and a fast digger, tunnelling into hard ground in about 10 minutes. It has one of the least specialised diets in the weasel family, digging out burrowing prey and raiding beehives for larvae and honey. After 50–70 days a female bears one or two cubs (Wikipedia, general species account).
Description: Wildlife of India guide, Wildlife of Everywhere (wildlifeofeverywhere.com); general species information paraphrased from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)