Honey badger

 Honey badger

COMMON NAME: 

Honey Badger

SCIENTIFIC NAME: 

Mellivora capensis

TYPE: 

Mammals

DIET: 

Omnivore

GROUP NAME: 

Cete or Clan

AVERAGE LIFE SPAN IN THE WILD: 

Up to 7 years

SIZE: 

9 to 11 inches high at shoulder

WEIGHT: 

13 to 30 pounds

Some say honey badgers don’t care, but that reputation is hardly fair. In fact, these medium-size members of the weasel family have super-sized attitudes.

Honey badgers, also known as ratels, are related to skunks, otters, ferrets, and other badgers. These voracious omnivores get their name from their fondness for feeding on honey and honeybee larvae. They also eat insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals, as well as roots, bulbs, berries, and fruits.

Though they hunt for their own food most of the time, they’ll happily steal from other carnivores or scavenge the kills of bigger animals when the opportunity arises. Their prominent, sharp teeth, long foreclaws, and stocky build allow them to easily rip meat from bone.