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Glite Dictionary
Mellivora capensis

Mellivora capensis

9.9
A fearless, badger-like animal that eats meat and honey at night, found in Africa and South Asia
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Mellivora capensis
  • Researchers observed the Mellivora capensis raiding a beehive at night.

Examples

  • The Mellivora capensis is renowned for its fearless nature in the wild.

  • Unlike other mustelids, Mellivora capensis often travels long distances in search of food.

  • The Mellivora capensis is known for its fearless nature.

  • Did you know that the Mellivora capensis can take on much larger animals?

  • Scientists have documented the Mellivora capensis scavenging in the African savannah.

  • The Mellivora capensis is famous for its ability to withstand venom from various snakes.

  • You might spot a Mellivora capensis foraging for food near abandoned animal dens.

Synonyms

honey badger
vsMellivora capensis
  • Indian
1 7.6

A strong, fierce mammal from Africa and southern Asia that hunts at night and breaks into beehives

is the scientific species name rather than an everyday descriptive name
ratel
vsMellivora capensis
  • Indian
9.9

A small, fierce animal active at night that eats meat and often raids beehives

is the formal scientific name used in taxonomy
Mellivora
vsMellivora capensis
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of mammals in the weasel family that contains only the honey badger

refers specifically to the species scientific name rather than the genus

Surface Forms

Mellivora capensis singular
Mellivora capensises plural

Morphology

Mellivora + capensis

The phrase is a scientific binomial (genus + species). If a learner knows 'Mellivora' as the honey badger they can infer this refers to that animal or a species within that genus, but the species epithet 'capensis' is a Latin geographic/ taxonomic label that is not transparently meaningful to a B1 learner without knowledge of scientific naming conventions.

Etymology

Mellivora capensis comes from two Latin words: mellivora meaning 'honey eater' because this animal often raids beehives, and capensis meaning 'from the Cape' because it was first described in southern Africa. So the name gives a simple picture — a honey-eating badger from the Cape — which is why it refers to the honey badger today.