Indian Honey Badger

## About

An Indian honey badger.

The Indian honey badger ***(Mellivora capensis indica)*** is a subspecies of honey badger ***(Mellivora capensis)*** native to the Indian subcontinent. It is almost identical to other honey badger subspecies, sharing the same body plan, including; a muscular and stocky neck, short limbs, weakened and small eyes and a narrow body. Also in the same vein, the Indian honey badger adopts a plantigrade stance similarly to bears, in that the animal's hind legs are shorter than its front and the soles of the hind feet touch the ground. This gives the Indian honey badger a plantigrade stance, similarly to bears. Because of this attribute, they run in a hobbling or seesaw-like motion. Indian honey badgers have loose, baggy yet also thickened skin. This adaptation proves advantages not only against grappling attacks used by other predators, but also bees, of which the Indian honey badger routinely encounters due to its diet. Also aiding in the predation of beehives is the subspecies' long claws located on its front pair of limbs. These claws prove extremely useful when penetrating beehives. The Indian honey badger does not stray from the appearance of other honey badger subspecies, having a similar pelt comprised of; a black underbelly, limbs, face and tail, as well as a silver-white dorsum that starts as the top of the head and ends around the tail's base. The exact measurements of the Indian honey badger have not yet been quantified.

## Diet

Indian honey badgers are likely omnivorous however, prefer to consume meat rather than plant matter. amphibians, mammals, birds and especially reptiles such as snakes are likely common prey items for the subspecies however, over every other food item, the Indian honey badger likely favours honey. Indian honey badgers and all other subspecies are known and named for their tendency to break open beehives in order to eat the honey and nutritious bee larvae inside. As previously mentioned, the Indian honey badger's specialised skin helps it tolerate a multitude of bee stings, before becoming overwhelmed. In captive environments Indian honey badgers will often eat fruits such as bananas,

## Conservation Status

Though it is likely that the Indian honey badger is threatened by trapping and killings by agriculturalists, its exact threats have not been assessed by the IUCN, leaving the subspecies currently not evaluated. Wild Lanka however, believes that the species should be classed as a near-threatened species.

## Range and Population

The Indian honey badger inhabits obviously India however, it can also be found occurring in Pakistan and Southern Nepal however, it is not currently known whether the subspecies is present in Sri Lanka. It inhabits areas of grassland, shrubland, scrubland and savanna however, the subspecies can also be found in denser regions such as rainforests and inland wetland. For the first time ever, in 2018, the Indian honey badger was found to be in the Kadapa jungles of Sri Lankamalleswara Wildlife Sanctuary, in southeastern India. This encounter was publicised by the Times of India, with the popular news site saying that the encounter represented "a new feather in the cap of the sanctuary", in relation to the Indian honey badger's rarity. Indian honey badgers have been found to be apparent especially in low human-dense areas, such as the Kachchh district of Gujarat, as well as other protected sanctuaries. The population of the Indian honey badger is currently unquantified however, it is likely being impacted by human intervention, such as deliberate trappings and killings of the animal.

## Behaviour

As the Indian honey badger is an extremely enigmatic species and so, little is known about its behavioural and breeding characteristics. It can be hypothsised that the Indian honey badger is capable of delayed implantation, similarly to African honey badgers. From individuals in Israeli zoos, the gestation period was found to be around 67-72 days however, these may be Persian honey badgers. After breeding two cubs, Nandankanan Zoological Park, India, found that one of the cubs was eventually killed by its own parents. This may represent infanticidal behaviour, previously not found in wild individuals of even African honey badgers.

### Relationship with Humans

It is likely that the Indian honey badger is targeted by processes of culling in order to defend livestock.

## In Captivity

Indian honey badgers can be found only in four Indian zoos. One zoo, the Nandankanan Zoological Park, has recently successfully bred a pair of Indian honey badgers, which were born on the 2/9/2011. Unfortunately, one cub was thrashed and mauled.

## Sources

* Caught on Camera: Rare Honey Badger found in Kadapa jungles | Times of India - https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/amaravati/caught-on-camera-rare-honey-badger-found-in-kadapa-jungles/articleshow/63675743.cms
* Twin birth of Ratel (Mellivora capensis indica) in captivity: A case study at Nandankanan Zoological Park | Researchgate.net - https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rajesh-Mohapatra-4/publication/268034216\_Twin\_birth\_of\_Ratel\_Mellivora\_capensis\_indica\_in\_captivity\_A\_case\_study\_at\_Nandankanan\_Zoological\_Park/links/545f7e6a0cf2c1a63bfdb64e/Twin-birth-of-Ratel-Mellivora-capensis-indica-in-captivity-A-case-study-at-Nandankanan-Zoological-Park.pdf
* TO ASSESS THE ECOLOGY AND DISTRIBUTION STATUS OF THE INDIAN RATEL (*Mellivora capensis indica*) IN SAURASHTRA AND KACHCHH, GUJARAT, INDIA | WILDLANKA - http://journals.dwc.gov.lk/page.php?t=c&f=showArticle&id=105