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Classification

The generally accepted classification for the honey badger is as follows:

Class: Mammalia (Mammals)

Family: Mustelidae (Weasels etc.)

Sub-family: Mellivorinae (Honey badgers)

Genus & species: Mellivora capensis (The honey badger)

The honey badger was first described by Schreber in 1776, and named as Viverra capensis, which placed it with the viverrids (the civets and mongooses) [w005-09].

W. Chris Wozencraft [w005-10] has suggested that Mellivora should be classified with the stoats, weasels and martens in the sub-family Mustelinae, and not in a sub-family of its own.

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Subspecies

15 subspecies of the honey badger have been described over the years [b006, w178-01], but in most if not all cases there is little evidence to support the subspecies that have been proposed. A full list of the subspecies appears below, with notes as to where they occur where I have been able to find this information:

• Mellivora capensis abyssinica
• Mellivora capensis brockmani
• Mellivora capensis buchanani - from the Air region of Niger [b016]
• Mellivora capensis capensis - the "nominate" subspecies.
• Mellivora capensis concisa
• Mellivora capensis cottoni
• Mellivora capensis inaurita - from the foothills of southern Nepal [b016]
• Mellivora capensis indica - from western India and southwest Turkestan [b016]
• Mellivora capensis leuconota
• Mellivora capensis maxwelli
• Mellivora capensis pumilio
• Mellivora capensis sagulata
• Mellivora capensis signata
• Mellivora capensis vernayi
• Mellivora capensis wilsoni

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Picture credits

The honey badger photo used at the head of this Article is © Tim Davis / Photo Researchers, Inc. Used with the permission of the Northern Ohio Ferret Association. Credits for the photos used in the right-hand margin of this page for site navigation can be found on the Credits page.

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