Ratel/Honey Badger (Mellivora capensis) Fact Sheet: Summary

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Carnivora

Family: Mustelidae

Genus: Mellivora

Species: Mellivora capensis - ratel or honey badger

Body Weight
Male: c. 9.4 kg (20.7 lb)
Female: c. 6.2 kg (13.7 lb)

Body Length
Male: c. 724 mm (2.4 ft)
Female: c. 636 mm (2.1 ft)

Tail Length
Male: 143-230 mm (0.5-0.8 ft)
Female: 152-190 mm (0.5-0.6 ft)

Pelage: Coarse, black and white hairs. Body mostly black with a mantle of white hair extending from the crown of the head to the base of the tail.

Range: Broadly distributed across much of Africa; also living on the Arabian Peninsula and the Indian sub-continent. Believed to be absent from the central Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean coast in North Africa.

Habitat: A habitat generalist; ratel live in diverse environments, from arid desert outskirts to rainforests.

IUCN Status: Least Concern (2015 assessment)

CITES Status: Appendix III

Other Designations: South African Red Data Book species

Population in Wild: Global population unknown. Localized population declines in some regions.

Locomotion: Walk, trot, tumble, roll, and somersault on the ground. Capable of climbing trees and swimming.

Activity Cycle: Predominantly nocturnal, though often active in daylight. Sleep below ground in dens or above-ground in hollows. Highly active when awake; may travel 10-27 km/day (6-17 mi/day) in search of food.

Social Groups: Generally non-social, though some interactions between individuals do occur. Males are generally more social than females.

Diet: Carnivores; secure most food through active hunting though individuals may scavenge. Small mammals and reptiles make up much of the diet.

Predators: Few natural predators; leopard, lion, and spotted hyena are known to take ratels.

Sexual Maturity: c. 2-3 years in the wild

Gestation: 50-70 days

Litter Size: 1-2 offspring; a single infant is most common

Interbirth Interval: > 12 months; do not breed every year in the wild

Age at Weaning: c. 2-3 months

Typical Life Expectancy:
Wild populations: less than 7 years [Southern Kalahari]
Managed care: no AZA estimates

Feature Facts 

• The Ratel or Honey Badger is a small carnivore with an appetite for honey
•  Most food is dug from the ground
• Their taste for honey can bring them into conflict with humans, when unprotected hives are destroyed
• Conservation initiatives include efforts to make available inexpensive, Ratel-proof hives.