Honey badger Mellivora capensis (Schreber, 1780)

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Mustelidae
Genus: Mellivora
Species: capensis

The honey badger is renowned for its love of honey. The generic name (Mellivora) is derived from the Latin mel (honey) and voro (to devour) for an important food item. However, another colloquial name, the ratel (= Afrikaans), is also widely used in English.
The honey badgers are carnivorous mammals, but their diet also include wild berries and fruit, as well as a distinct liking for honey and the larvae of wild bees.

Literature
Skinner, J.D. and Smithers, R.H.N., 1990. The Mammals of the Southern African subregion. University of Pretoria, South Africa.



BLOEMFONTEIN CAMPUS FACULTY CONTACT

Elfrieda van den Berg (Marketing Manager)
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