Thehoney badger (Mellivora capensis), also known as theratel (/ˈrɑːtəl/ or/ˈreɪtəl/), is amammal widely distributed acrossAfrica,Southwest Asia, and theIndian subcontinent. It is the only livingspecies in both the genusMellivora and the subfamilyMellivorinae. It has a fairly long body, with a distinctly thick-set and broad back, and remarkably loose skin, allowing the badger to turn and twist freely within it. The largest terrestrialmustelid in Africa, the honey badger measures 55 to 77 cm (22 to 30 in) long and weighs up to 16 kg (35 lb).Sexual dimorphism has been recorded in this species, with males being larger and heavier than females. It has two pairs of mammae, and an eversibleanal pouch.
The honey badger is a solitary animal that can be active at any time of day, depending on the location. It is primarily acarnivorous species and has few naturalpredators because of its thick skin, strength and ferocious defensive abilities. Adults maintain large home ranges, and displayscent-marking behavior. The species has no fixed breeding period. After agestation of 50–70 days, a female will give birth to an average of one to two cubs that will remain under her care for 1–1+1⁄4 years. Because of its wide range and occurrence in a variety of habitats, it is listed asleast concern on theIUCN Red List. Inpopular media, the honey badger is best known as an aggressive, intelligent animal that is fearless and tough in nature.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, 16zoological specimens of the honey badger were described and proposed assubspecies.[7] Points taken into consideration in assigning different subspecies include size and the extent of whiteness or greyness on the back.[8] As of 2005[update], 12 subspecies are recognised as valid taxa:[9][7]
Distinguished fromcapensis by its smaller size, paler fur and having a less distinct lateral white band separating the upper white and lower black areas of the body[10]
The coat on the back consists largely of very long, pure white bristle-hairs amongst long, fine, black underfur. Its distinguishing feature from other subspecies is the lack of the usual white bristle-hairs in the lumbar area[12]
Although its pelage is the normal dense white over the crown, this pale colour starts to thin out over the neck and shoulders, continuing to the rump where it fades into black. It possesses an extra lower molar on the left side of the jaw[12]
Sierra Leone
Ethiopian ratel (M. c. abyssinica) (Hollister, 1910)
The species first appeared during the middlePliocene in Asia.[15] A number of extinct relatives are known dating back at least 7 million years to the LateMiocene. These includeMellivora benfieldi from South Africa and Italy,Promellivora from Pakistan, andHowellictis from Chad. More distant relatives includeEomellivora, which evolved into several different species in both theOld andNew Worlds, and the giant, long-leggedEkorus from Kenya.[16]
Etymology
The genus name,Mellivora, is derived fromLatin, meaning "honey eater", while the species name,capensis, pertains to the location where thetype specimen was discovered: the Cape of Good Hope.[7] The origin of the wordratel is uncertain, but is thought to either be derived fromratel, which is Dutch for rattle or from the Dutch wordraat, meaninghoneycomb.[17]
Description
Skull
Skeleton
The honey badger has a fairly long body, but is distinctly thick-set and broad across the back. Its skin is remarkably loose, and allows the animal to turn and twist freely within it.[18] The skin around the neck is 6 mm (0.24 in) thick, an adaptation to fightingconspecifics.[19] The head is small and flat, with a short muzzle. The eyes are small, and the ears are little more than ridges on the skin,[18] another possible adaptation to avoiding damage while fighting.[19] The honey badger has short and sturdy legs, with five toes on each foot. The feet are armed with very strong claws, which are short on the hind legs and remarkably long on the forelimbs. It is a partiallyplantigrade animal whosesoles are thickly padded and naked up to thewrists. Thetail is short and is covered in long hairs, save for below the base.[7][18]
The honey badger is the largest terrestrial mustelid in Africa. Adults measure 23 to 28 cm (9.1 to 11.0 in) in shoulder height and 55–77 cm (22–30 in) in body length, with the tail adding another 12–30 cm (4.7–11.8 in). Females are smaller than males.[18] In Africa, males weigh 9 to 16 kg (20 to 35 lb) while females weigh 5 to 10 kg (11 to 22 lb) on average. The mean weight of adult honey badgers from different areas has been reported at anywhere between 6.4 to 12 kg (14 to 26 lb), with a median of roughly 9 kg (20 lb), per various studies. This positions it as the third largest known badger, after theEuropean badger andhog badger, and fourth largest extant terrestrial mustelid after additionally thewolverine.[7][20][21][22][23] However, the average weight of three wild females fromIraq was reported as 18 kg (40 lb), about the typical weight of male wolverines or male European badgers in late autumn, indicating that they can attain much larger than typical sizes in favourable conditions.[24][25] However, an adult female and two males in India were relatively small weighing 6.4 kg (14 lb) and a median of 8.4 kg (19 lb).[7] Skull length is 13.9–14.5 cm (5.5–5.7 in) in males and 13 cm (5.1 in) for females.[26]
The honey badger has two pairs ofmammae.[27] It has aneversible anal pouch,[28] a trait shared withhyenas andmongooses. The smell of the pouch is reportedly "suffocating", and may assist in calmingbees when raiding beehives.[29]
Honey badger teeth
Theskull greatly resembles a larger version of that of amarbled polecat.[30]Thedental formula is:3.1.3.13.1.3.1. The teeth often display signs of irregular development, with some teeth being exceptionally small, set at unusual angles or absent altogether. Honey badgers of the subspeciessignata have a second lower molar on the left side of their jaws, but not the right. Although it feeds predominantly on soft foods, the honey badger's cheek teeth are often extensively worn. Thecanine teeth are exceptionally short for carnivores.[31] Thepapillae of the tongue are sharp and pointed, which assists in processing tough foods.[32]
The winter fur is long, being 40–50 mm (1.6–2.0 in) long on the lower back, and consists of sparse, coarse, bristle-like hairs, with minimalunderfur. Hairs are even sparser on the flanks, belly and groin. The summer fur is shorter (being only 15 mm (0.59 in) long on the back) and even sparser, with the belly being half bare. The sides of the head and lower body are pure black. A large white band covers the upper body, from the top of the head to the base of the tail.[33] Honey badgers of thecottoni subspecies are unique in being completely black.[12]
Distribution and habitat
The honey badger ranges through most ofsub-Saharan Africa, from theWestern Cape, South Africa, to southern Morocco and southwestern Algeria and outside Africa through Arabia, Iran, andWestern Asia to Turkmenistan and theIndian Peninsula. It is known to range from sea level to as much as 2,600 m (8,500 ft) in the MoroccanHigh Atlas and 4,000 m (13,000 ft) inEthiopia'sBale Mountains.[1] Throughout its range, the honey badger is predominantly found indeserts, mountainous regions andforests.[34] These habitats can have an annual rainfall of as low as 100 mm in dry, arid regions to as high as 2,000 mm.[7]
The honey badger is mostly solitary, but has also been seen in Africa hunting in pairs. It also uses old burrows ofaardvark,warthog andtermite mounds.[32] In theSerengeti National Park, the activity levels of the honey badger was largely dependent on the time of year; in thedry season, it was mostlynocturnal, in contrast to thewet season, when it remained active throughout the day, reaching its zenith duringcrepuscular hours.[35] In theSariska Tiger Reserve in India, a study concluded that the honey badger was highly nocturnal; a study in theCauvery Wildlife Sanctuary yielded similar results.[36] The honey badger is a skilled digger, able to dig tunnels into hard ground in 10 minutes. These burrows usually have only one entry, are usually only 1–3 m (3 ft 3 in – 9 ft 10 in) long with a nesting chamber that is not lined with any bedding.[37] Adults control a patch of land known as a home range. Females establish a large home range that changes in size depending foremost on the abundance of food, and particularly when rearing young, while males' considerably larger home ranges depend on the availability of females in heat; this often leads to males' home ranges intersecting with that of about 13 females.[34] Adult males have an average home range of 548 km2 (212 sq mi), compared to females' average of 138 km2 (53 sq mi). It is suggested that adult males have a dominance hierarchy, and that females tend to avoid contact with each other, displaying less profoundterritorial behavior in spite of the 25% overlap in female home ranges. In the wild, honey badgers were confirmed to scent-mark while squatting, and it is suggested that this behaviour is an "important form of communication". They frequently scent-mark their territories withanal gland excretions,feces andurine. According to personal accounts, honey badgers in captivity were said to scent-mark in a squatting position, releasing fluid from their anal glands.[38]
The honey badger is famous for its strength, ferocity and toughness. It is known to savagely and fearlessly attack almost any other species when escape is impossible, reportedly even repelling much larger predators such aslion and hyena.[39] In some instances, honey badgers deter large predators by unleashing a pungent yellow liquid produced by the anal glands. They accompany this with a threat display characterized by rattling noises,goosebumps, a straight, upward-facing tail, and general charging behaviour while also holding their heads up high.[38] In a 2018 study, it was found that the presence of large predators had no effect on the population of honey badgers in the Serengeti. This is likely indicative of the honey badger seeking areas comparable to those favoured by larger predators, and perhaps adopting a similarecological niche.[35] Bee stings, porcupine quills, and animal bites rarely penetrate their skin. Ifhorses,cattle, orCape buffalos intrude upon a honey badger's burrow, it will attack them.[31] In theCape Province, it is a potential prey species of theAfrican leopard[40][41] andSouthern African rock python.[7][42]
The voice of the honey badger is a hoarse "khrya-ya-ya-ya" sound. When mating, males emit loud grunting sounds.[43] Cubs vocalise through plaintive whines,[8] and when confronting dogs, honey badgers scream likebear cubs.[44]
Diet
Indian honey badger drinks from a natural stream
The honey badger has the least specialised diet of the weasel family next to the wolverine.[19] It accesses a large part of its food by digging it out ofburrows.[7]It often raidsbeehives in search of both bee larvae andhoney.[45] It also feeds oninsects, frogs,tortoises,turtles,lizards,rodents, snakes, birds and eggs. It also eatsberries,roots andbulbs.[7] Some individuals have even been observed to chase awaylion cubs from kills.[32] It devours all parts of its prey, including skin, hair, feathers, flesh and bones, holding its food down with its forepaws.[46] It feeds on a wide range of animals and seems to subsist primarily on smallvertebrates. Honey badgers studied inKgalagadi Transfrontier Park preyed largely ongeckos andskinks (47.9% of prey species),gerbils andmice (39.7% of prey). The bulk of its prey comprised species weighing more than 100 g (3.5 oz) such ascobras, young African rock python andSouth African springhare. The study also found that males and females caught similar-sized prey, despite their disparity in size.[47]In the Kalahari, honey badgers were also observed to attack domesticsheep andgoats, as well as kill and eatblack mambas.[42][48] A honey badger was suspected to have broken up the shells oftent tortoises in the NamaKaroo.[49] In India, honey badgers are said to dig up buried human corpses.[50]
Despite popular belief, there is no evidence thathoneyguides guide the honey badger.[51] In a 2022 study in the southernKalahari Desert, it was found thatblack-backed jackals fed in such a way that took food away from the honey badger, leading to a 5% decline in total food intake above ground. The honey badgers were preyed upon by larger predators such as spotted hyenas, leopards, and lions.[52]
Reproduction
The honey badger does not have a specific mating period, and instead breeds at any time of the year. Females have an estimatedoestrus period of about 14 days. Theirgestation period is thought to last 50–70 days,[53][38] usually resulting in one to two cubs, which are born blind and hairless. Females give birth in a den, and transport their young from one shelter to another for the first three months. When foraging, females abandon their cubs, and return to suckle them in the den; sightings of females suckling young are generally rare, however, in one instance, a female suckling her young outside the den was observed laying in a supine position with her cub sitted atop her abdomen in an upside down orientation. At about three to five weeks of age, cubs begin developing the adult black-and-white coat, and at eight to twelve weeks, they follow their mother on foraging expeditions;weaning occurs during this period. On average, females will remain with their cubs for 1–1¼ years and during that time, they will teach cubs important life skills such as climbing, foraging and hunting. Not all cubs reach adulthood; in one study, the mortality rate of cubs in theKgalagadi Transfrontier Park was 37%, and was caused bypredation,infanticide andstarvation. Although the exact age when males becomesexually mature is uncertain, several factors indicate that they reach sexual maturity at two to three years of age. Also uncertain is when females reach sexual maturity, however, they are thought to be sexually mature on the onset of independency, the largest indicator of this being the migration of females outside their mothers range not too long after the separation. Thelifespan of the species in the wild is unknown, though captive individuals have been known to live for approximately 24 years.[8][53]
As of 2016, the honey badger is listed asleast concern on theIUCN Red List due to its extensive range.[1] It is mostly threatened by killings frombeekeepers andfarmers, sometimes with the use ofpoisons ortraps, and is used intraditional medicine and asbushmeat. In other cases, control programs that were meant for other predators such ascaracals have led to unintentional honey badger deaths. It is thought that many honey badger populations were eradicated as a result of poisoning alone.[1]
Human–wildlife conflict
Honey badgers often become seriouspoultry predators. Because of their strength and persistence, they are difficult to deter. They are known to rip thick planks from hen-houses or burrow underneath stone foundations.Surplus killing is common during these events, with one incident resulting in the death of 17Muscovy ducks and 36chickens.[32] Because of the toughness and looseness of their skin, honey badgers are very difficult to hunt with dogs. Their skin is hard to penetrate, and its looseness allows them to twist and turn on their attackers when held. The only safe grip on a honey badger is on the back of the head; anywhere else, including the scruff of the neck, is highly dangerous.[56]In Kenya, the honey badger is a major reservoir ofrabies[57][58] and is suspected to be a significant contributor to thesylvatic cycle of the disease.[59]
Honey badgers are kept in captivity aspets and to be exhibited inzoos. They are said to be easy totame, with some reportedly ceasing the utilization of their anal glands. Despite this, when in contact with a handler, honey badgers often release anal gland secretions.[7]
In culture
The native people ofSomalia believe that a man becomesinfertile after being bitten by a honey badger, hence the wide berth they give to the species.[7]
In India, the honey badger has been alleged to dig up human corpses.[10]During the British occupation ofBasra Governorate in 2007, rumours of "man-eating badgers" emerged, including allegations that these beasts were released by the British troops, something that the British categorically denied.[60][61] A British army spokesperson said that the badgers were "native to the region but rare in Iraq" and "are usually only dangerous to humans if provoked".[62]
Inpopular media, the honey badger has garnered a reputation for being an intelligent, fearless animal with nicknames or titles given to it include "pound for pound, the most powerful creature in Africa", "most fearless animal in the world", "bravest animal in the world" and "meanest animal in the world". These names stem from the honey badger's ability to repel larger predators, which has been highlighted in such a way as to give the public audience the impression of invincibility. The noises made when performing the threat display are cited as another component of the honey badger's invincible image. Due to its ability of using tools, the honey badger is considered an intelligent creature and according to aBBC documentary titledHoney Badgers: Masters of Mayhem, captive individuals may work with others as cohesive unit to help unlock gates or enclosures with the use of tools. The species' supposed fearless attitude is highlighted in the popular comic bookRandall's Guide to Nastyass Animals: Honey Badger Don't Care.[63] Reflecting this reputation, the honey badger has also been adopted as a symbol ofBitcoin, whose advocates liken the currency’s uncontrollability to the animal’s renowned toughness.[64]
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