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Honey badger (Ratel)
Mellivora capensis
Key identification features
A medium sized carnivore with a white or near white upper side of the body and a very short tail which can be white or black. The rest of the body is pure black. It has a very muscular neck and massive head, the legs are short and the front legs have big claws. HB 60-77 cm. Wt 7-16 kg.
Habitat and social behaviour
It occurs in every type of habitat but is most common in open woodland. It is predominantly nocturnal. It mostly lives singly.
Similar species
The Zorilla can easily be distinguished from the honey badger because it is a lot smaller and has alternating white and black stripes on its back.
Distribution Map
Photo gallery
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