The Honey Badger – The Remarkable Yet Unknown Species of India

There are so many of us who are attracted to fierce animals and for lot of people there is no better wildlife high than “the chase & the hunt”. This article might interest at all those people who are seeking this high coz I think there is nothing fiercer than the Honey Badger in our jungles. These tough animals can quite easily put tigers, leopards, poisonous snakes, scorpions, predatory birds and even humans to shame when it comes to toughness.

Honey Badgers or Ratel belong to the weasel family. They have a stocky build and they are silver grey on the top of their head, back and tail and black elsewhere. They have a body length between 23.5 – 30 inches, a tail length between 8 – 12 inches and they weigh between 7 and 13 kg. Though there are 15 subspecies, Honey Badgers can be found in the dry grasslands and moist deciduous forests of Africa and western and southern Asia.

These guys are seriously tough. They have no natural predators. They have a reputation of being fearless and few animals will enter into a fight with a fully grown Honey Badger. Because of the toughness and looseness of their skin, honey badgers are very difficult to kill. Their skin is hard to penetrate, and its looseness allows them to twist and turn on their attackers when held. The only safe grip on a honey badger is on the back of the neck. The skin is also tough enough to resist several machete blows. However, they are not aggressive towards humans and they retaliate fiercely only when attacked.

Next to the wolverine, the honey badger has the least specialized diet of the weasel family. They are fierce predators and they feed on snakes, porcupines, hares, scorpions, termites, earthworms, tortoises, amphibians, lizards, fruits, berries, honey and carrion. Honey badgers are able to feed on tortoises without difficulty, due to their powerful jaws. They kill and eat snakes, even highly venomous or large ones, such as cobras. They devour all parts of their prey, including skin, hair, feathers, flesh and even bones.  Honey badgers have even been known to chase away young lions in Africa and take their kills.

Honey Badger subspecies that is found in India is Mellivora capensis indica and these can be found throughout western, central and south India. This amazing animal should definitely be on your list of species to lookout for next time you visit a national park.