Turkmen Honey Badger

## About

One of the only recognised photos of the Turkmen honey badger.

The Turkmen honey badger ***(Mellivora capensis buechneri)*** is a disputed and extremely seldom-documented subspecies of the South African honey badger ***(Mellivora capensis)***, first separated from the Indian honey badger ***(Mellivora capensis indica)*** in 2002. Turkmen honey badgers are near identical to other subspecies of the honey badger, having muscular short necks, small, weak eyes, a long/slender body and short/stout legs. The Turkmen honey badger shared a plantigrade stance with bears, having shorter front legs when compared to their hind legs. This causes them to move in a hobbling-seesaw motion. On each foot, Turkmen honey badgers also have sharp claws. These claws aid in the destruction of beehives, which contain some of the animal's favourite food. Turkmen honey badgers have one main distinguishing feature, in that their pelt differs slightly from other Asiatic subspecies. Unlike the Persian honey badger ***(Mellivora capensis wilsoni)***, or other Asiatic subspecies, the Turkmen honey badger lacks a characteristic band of light fur in between the black underbelly and white dorsum parts of its pelt. In addition to do this, the white dorsum extends completely across the tail, rather than stopping at its base, as seen in other subspecies. A trait among all honey badgers is their specialised skin. Turkmen honey badgers are no exception, possessing loose, thick and baggy skin which not only provides greater movement when being grappled, but also proves advantageous when the Turkmen honey badger is hunting bees and snakes, which find it difficult to break the animal's skin. Though the exact measurements of the Turkmen honey badger is not quantified, it is known to exceed the size of most Asiatic honey badgers, being closest to the Persian honey badger in size. Males are likely larger, displaying sexual dimorphism.

## Diet

Turkmen honey badgers are omnivorous however, they likely eat meat more often than plant matter. They likely eat snakes and mammals, similarly to the honey badger. It can also be inferred that the subspecies may also prey on livestock like chickens and goats. Turkmen honey badgers are named after their love of honey. They use their long and durable claws to destroy the walls of these hives, before eating not only the honey, but also the bee larvae.

## Conservation Status

The Turkmen honey badger has not yet been evaluated by the IUCN, this is due to the subspecies only being discovered recently (2000) and as of yet still being disputed. Though the threats of the Turkmen honey badger are not known, it can likely be hypothesised that the subspecies faces pressure from agriculturalists. The subspecies is likely often trapped or poisoned in defense of livestock.

## Range and Population

As their name suggests Turkmen honey badgers inhabit the Central Asian country of Turkmenistan, particularly the West of Turkmenistan. Though this is their main area of range, the species also occurs in Southwest Kazakhstan and West Uzbekistan. As opposed to other honey badger subspecies, Turkmen honey badgers live in cooler and more foliage dense areas. They typically inhabit woodlands, forests and mountainous regions however, they can also often be found in drier savannas. Their range also likely runs along the Amudar'ya river however, it is currently unknown whether this is true. The population of this subspecies is completely unknown, likely due to its seldom-documentation.

## Behaviour

Little to nothing is known about the Turkmen honey badger's behavioural or breeding characteristics.

### Relationship with Humans

Turkmen honey badgers likely have a reputation for preying on livestock. This may lead to human-wildlife conflict as rural Turkmenistan further develops. Turkmen honey badgers may also be poisoned or trapped because of their attacks, which may cause deadly consequences for the species in the future.

## In Captivity

No Turkmen honey badgers exist in captivity.

## Sources

* List of Animals Described in the 2000s | Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_carnivorans\_described\_in\_the\_2000s#Mellivora\_capensis\_buechneri\_%282000%29
* A new species of honey badger Mellivora capensis from Central Asia | PDF - https://rcin.org.pl/Content/13056/PDF/BI002\_2613\_Cz-40-2\_Acta-T44-nr5-45-55\_o.pdf