Persian Honey Badger

## About

A Persian honey badger.

The Persian honey badger ***(Mellivora capensis wilsoni)*** is a newly discovered, seldom-documented Asian subspecies of honey badger ***(Mellivora capensis)***, that inhabits areas of Southwest and Central Asia. the Persian honey badger is identical to the African honey badger in appearance, with the exception of its smaller size. Both have a black underbelly, limbs and head as well as a white or silver back with black streaks, that start at the top of their heads and ends around the base of their tails. Both also have identical body structure, with small, weak eyes, stocky legs, a muscular neck and long claws used for the penetration of beehives. Persian honey badgers also have loose, thick baggy skin, which allows them to retain greater movement when grappled. This protective skin also makes it difficult for piercing attacks to damage the animal's actual body, which has become extremely advantageous against bees and snakes, which are two of the main items in the subspecies' diet. Persian honey badgers also run in a hobbling manner. This is due to their plantigrade stance, where the front legs are shorter than the hind legs, similarly to bears. Due to the fact that this subspecies is relatively new to science, its measurements are not known however, it is known to be smaller than the traditional African honey badger.

## Diet

Persian honey badgers are likely omnivorous, sharing a similar diet to their African counterparts. They likely feed on a variety of amphibians, reptiles such as snakes, birds and mammals such as livestock. The loose and baggy skin of the Persian honey badger allows the subspecies to target beehives for honey and larvae, as the bees have an extremely strenuous time breaking the animal's skin. This is not to say that bees do not cause casualties in Persian honey badgers though. One case found that Persian honey badgers attacked a group of caged foxes in Saudi Arabia on three occasions, solidifying their place as the apex predator in this situation.

## Conservation Status

The subspecies is not yet recognised by the IUCN and is currently not evaluated however, this does not mean the species is not threatened by multiple factors. Persian honey badgers are likely trapped and poisoned in defense of livestock in much of their rural range. This is because they have been known to target sheep and goats as well as chickens on occasion. A species of parasitic worm part of the ***(Oligacanthorhynchus)*** genus have been found in ten of the individuals found in the Almadeena district North Basrah governorate in Southern Iraq. These parasites are likely passed on to the Persian honey badgers through consumption of snake species native to the area and this study confirmed that the Persian honey badger is a suitable host for the parasites. This parasitic relationship however, is unlikely to create any major problems for the subspecies' population in the future.

## Range and Population

Persian honey badgers are named after their range as they occur on the outskirts and borders of northeast and west Iran. Despite its name however, the subspecies can be found in almost every country on the Arabian peninsula (with the exception of much of Syria and Lebanon), as well as the central Asian countries of; Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. The Turkmen population of the Persian honey badger is often said to be considered its own subspecies, ***(Mellivora capensis buechneri)*** however, this claim is disputed often. Throughout its range the Persian honey badger exists in a plethora of environments however, it can most commonly be found in arid regions, such as deserts, grasslands, savannas and shrublands. In its northern Iranian and central Asian range however, the subspecies inhabits more lush environments, particularly the coast of the Caspian Sea as well as the denser woodlands and forests of Golestan ostan, Iran. The population of the species is entirely unclear. This may be due to lack of studies paired with the uncertainty that the Asian populations even represent a separate subspecies.

## Behaviour

Little to absolutely nothing is known about this subspecies' breeding and behavioural characteristics.

### Relationship with Humans

It is likely that similarly to the African honey badger, Persian honey badgers are often involved in human-wildlife conflict. This is due to the subspecies' tendency to target livestock such as sheep, goats and chickens. Unfortunately, this commonly leads to purposeful killings.

## In Captivity

The Persian honey badger can only be found in three zoos worldwide. These are the; Biblical Zoological Garden, Meir Segals Garden University Zoo and Haifa Educational Zoo & Botanical Garden, all located in Israel.

## Sources

* Persian Honey Badger | ZOOINSTITUTES - https://zooinstitutes.com/animals/persian-honey-badger-3078/
* Opportunistic Predation of Trapped Mammals by Ratel, *Mellivora capensis wilsoni* | Taylor Francis Online - https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09397140.1998.10637750
* First Records of *Oligacanthorhynchus* (Oligacanthorhynchidae) from the Honey Badger, *Mellivora capensis wilsoni* (Mustelidae) and the West-Asian Blunt-Nosed Viper *Macrovipera lebetina obtusa* (Viperiidae) from North Basrah, Iraq | BioOne Complete - https://bioone.org/journals/comparative-parasitology/volume-87/issue-1/1525-2647-87.1.44/First-Records-of-Oligacanthorhynchus-Oligacanthorhynchidae-from-the-Honey-Badger-Mellivora/10.1654/1525-2647-87.1.44.short