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Honey Badger

Mellivora capensis

The honey badger (Mellivora capensis), also called the ratel, is a stocky, thick‑skinned mustelid (the weasel family) found across much of sub‑Saharan Africa and parts of Southwest and South Asia, including the Arabian Peninsula and the Indian subcontinent. It is the only living species in its genus (Mellivora) and is typically placed in its own subfamily (Mellivorinae). Honey badgers are opportunistic foragers with a mostly carnivorous diet (eggs, small mammals, snakes, birds, frogs, insects), but they also eat some plant foods and are well known for raiding beehives for larvae and honey. Their loose, thick skin helps prevent predators from getting a firm grip, and adults are difficult to subdue—though lions, leopards, and spotted hyenas can kill them, especially older or weaker individuals. Because of its broad range and ecological flexibility, the species is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (2016 assessment), though some populations show localized declines.

The honey badger (Mellivora capensis), also called the ratel, is a stocky, thick‑skinned mustelid (the weasel family) found across much of sub‑Saharan Africa and parts of Southwest and South Asia, including the Arabian Peninsula and the Indian subcontinent. It is the only living species in its genus (Mellivora) and is typically placed in its own subfamily (Mellivorinae). Honey badgers are opportunistic foragers with a mostly carnivorous diet (eggs, small mammals, snakes, birds, frogs, insects), but they also eat some plant foods and are well known for raiding beehives for larvae and honey. Their loose, thick skin helps prevent predators from getting a firm grip, and adults are difficult to subdue—though lions, leopards, and spotted hyenas can kill them, especially older or weaker individuals. Because of its broad range and ecological flexibility, the species is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (2016 assessment), though some populations show localized declines.