English

Alternative forms

• honeybadger

Noun

honey badger ‎(plural honey badgers)

1. Mellivora capensis, a badger-like mustelid native to Africa, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent.
   • 2007, Ross Piper, Extraordinary Animals: An Encyclopedia of Curious and Unusual Animals, page 48,

     Not only is the honey badger fond of hunting and eating venomous snakes and stealing honey from angry bees, it is also disregarding of animals many times its own size. Lions and leopards have been known to kill and eat honey badgers, but on the whole, they will give them a wide berth.

   • 2008, Lee Gutteridge, The South African Bushveld: A Field Guide from the Waterberg, page 97,

     There are in fact records of Honey badgers being stung to death in their quest for this much-relished source of food. Reptiles are also a major food source. Venomous snakes are neither ignored nor respected by the honey badger.

   • 2010, Chris McIntyre, Botswana: Okavango Delta, Chobe, Northern Kalahari, page 201,

     Co-operative relationships between mammals and birds are unusual, but the honey badger enjoys two. Its association with the greater honeyguide is well known. This small bird uses a distinctive song to lure the honey badger to a bee′s nest, whereupon it feasts on the grubs after the badger has ransacked the nest and had its fill of honey.

     Less well known is the honey badger′s association with the pale chanting goshawk.

Synonyms

• ratel

Translations