Honey badger From Wikipedia, the free encyclo
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Honey badger
Honey badger Temporal range: middle Pliocene – Recent | |
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Conservation status | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Carnivora |
Family: | Mustelidae |
Subfamily: | Mellivorinae [ 2 ] |
Genus: | Mellivora ( Storr , 1780) |
Species: | M. capensis |
Geographic distribution |
The honey badger ( Mellivora capensis ), also known as the ratel ( / ? r e? t ?l / or / ? r ?? t ?l / ), [ 3 ] is a species of mustelid native to Africa , Southwest Asia , and the Indian Subcontinent . Despite its name, the honey badger does not closely resemble other badger species, instead it bears more anatomical similarities to weasels . It is classed as Least Concern by the IUCN owing to its extensive range and general environmental adaptations. It is primarily a carnivorous species and has few natural predators because of its thick skin and ferocious defensive abilities.