Honey Badger
Mellivora capensis
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassMammalia (Mamífers)
- OrderCarnivora (Carnívors)
- FamilyMustelidae (Mustelids)
- GenusMellivora (Ratels)
- SpeciesMellivora capensis (Honey Badger)
The honey badger (Mellivora capensis), also known as the ratel ( or ), is a mammal widely distributed across Africa, Southwest Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. It is the sole living representative of the Mellivorinae subfamily of the Mustelidae. 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 terrestrial mustelid 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 eversible anal pouch. Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Table Mountain National Park
African Clawless Otter
Aonyx capensis
Striped Polecat
Ictonyx striatus
Afro-Australian Fur Seal
Arctocephalus pusillus
Caracal
Caracal caracal
Cape Gray Mongoose
Galerella pulverulenta
Cape Genet
Genetta tigrina
Marsh Mongoose
Atilax paludinosus
Southern Elephant Seal
Mirounga leonina
Leopard Seal
Hydrurga leptonyx
Cape Fox
Vulpes chama
Subantarctic Fur Seal
Arctocephalus tropicalis
Egyptian Mongoose
Herpestes ichneumon
📅 Monthly Probability
Fewer than 5 records of Honey Badger at Table Mountain National Park — not enough to chart months honestly.
🌅 When They're Spotted
Most active at dawn and dusk · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there