Honey badger
The honey badger (Mellivora capensis), also known as the ratel (/ˈrɑːtəl/ or /ˈreɪtəl/), is a mammal widely distributed in Africa, Southwest Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. Because of its wide range and occurrence in a variety of habitats, it is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
| Honey badger Temporal range: middle Pliocene – Recent | |
|---|---|
| In Kruger National Park, South Africa | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Mustelidae |
| Subfamily: | Mellivorinae |
| Genus: | Mellivora |
| Species: | M. capensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Mellivora capensis (Schreber, 1776) | |
| Ratel distribution
Extant (resident) | |
It is the only living species in the genus Mellivora and in the mustelid subfamily Mellivorinae. Despite its name, the honey badger does not closely resemble other badger species; instead, it bears more anatomical similarities to weasels. It is primarily a carnivorous species and has few natural predators because of its thick skin, strength and ferocious defensive abilities.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.