🐕 African wild dog vs Honey badger 🦡
The African wild dog is about twice as long as the honey badger. The African wild dog weighs about 3 times as much as the honey badger.
Getting the animals ready…
| Row | 🐕 African wild dog | 🦡 Honey badger |
|---|---|---|
| Size The African wild dog is about twice as long as the honey badger. | 3.4 to 4.9 ft1.1 to 1.5 m1 | 24 to 28 in60 to 70 cm2 |
| Top speed We don't have a checked number for the honey badger yet. | 34 mph55 km/h1 | no checked number yet |
| Weight The African wild dog weighs about 3 times as much as the honey badger. | 40 to 79 lb18 to 36 kg1 | 18 to 26 lb8 to 12 kg2 |
| Lives The African wild dog usually lives about one and a half times as long as the honey badger. | 10 to 11 years10 to 11 years1 | 7 to 8 years7 to 8 years2 |
| Eats The African wild dog eats meat; the honey badger eats plants and animals. | mammals such as impala, and sick or hurt wildebeest and zebra | eggs, small rodents, snakes, birds and frogs |
| Lives in They can live in the same kind of place. | grassland, savanna and open woodland in southern Africa | forests, grassland, rocky hills and deserts across most of Africa south of the Sahara and on the Arabian Peninsula |
Which one? African wild dog or honey badger
🏁 Who would win the race?
We don't have a checked top speed for the honey badger yet, so there is no race.
We only race. Real animals mostly avoid each other. A race is the only fair contest: who reaches the tree first, by top speed. Our face-off books compare real numbers, and nobody gets hurt.
10 things to know about African wild dog vs Honey badger
- The African wild dog: A long-legged, patchy-coated wild dog of the African savanna.
- The honey badger: A short, strong animal from Africa and Asia that eats eggs, snakes and more.
- They are the same kind of animal: both are mammals.
- The African wild dog is about twice as long as the honey badger: 1 against 2.
- The African wild dog weighs about 3 times as much as the honey badger. That is 1 for the African wild dog and 2 for the honey badger.
- The African wild dog usually lives about one and a half times as long as the honey badger. Usual lifespans: 1 for the African wild dog and 2 for the honey badger.
- The African wild dog eats mammals such as impala, and sick or hurt wildebeest and zebra. The honey badger eats eggs, small rodents, snakes, birds and frogs.
- The African wild dog lives in grassland, savanna and open woodland in southern Africa. The honey badger lives in forests, grassland, rocky hills and deserts across most of Africa south of the Sahara and on the Arabian Peninsula. They can live in the same kind of place.
- The African wild dog: in danger (Endangered on the IUCN Red List). 3
- The honey badger: doing fine (Least Concern on the IUCN Red List). 4
Wow facts
🐕 African wild dog
- An African wild dog can run fast in a chase.
- Its coat is a patchwork of colors.
- It lives on the savanna and in open woodland.
🦡 Honey badger
- A honey badger lives in forests, grassland and deserts.
- A male can walk a long way in one day looking for food.
- It eats eggs, small rodents, snakes, birds and frogs.
Questions kids ask about African wild dog and Honey badger
Which is bigger, African wild dog or honey badger?
The African wild dog is about twice as long as the honey badger: 1 against 2.
Which is heavier, African wild dog or honey badger?
The African wild dog weighs about 3 times as much as the honey badger. That is 1 for the African wild dog and 2 for the honey badger.
Which lives longer, African wild dog or honey badger?
The African wild dog usually lives about one and a half times as long as the honey badger. Usual lifespans: 1 for the African wild dog and 2 for the honey badger.
What do African wild dog and honey badger eat?
The African wild dog eats mammals such as impala, and sick or hurt wildebeest and zebra. The honey badger eats eggs, small rodents, snakes, birds and frogs.
Where do African wild dog and honey badger live?
The African wild dog lives in grassland, savanna and open woodland in southern Africa. The honey badger lives in forests, grassland, rocky hills and deserts across most of Africa south of the Sahara and on the Arabian Peninsula. They can live in the same kind of place.
Do African wild dogs eat honey badgers?
The African wild dog eats mammals such as impala, and sick or hurt wildebeest and zebra. Honey badgers are not in that list, which comes from its page.
Who would win, African wild dog or honey badger?
We never show fights, because a fight is not a fair way to compare animals. They can share the same kind of place, and real animals mostly keep out of each other's way. What we can compare is how big, how heavy, how fast, how long they live and what they eat, as above.
📤 Share this pair
The link carries only the two animals’ names: peabody.kids/animals/compare/african-wild-dog-vs-honey-badger
Where these numbers come from
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Lycaon pictus (African wild dog), checked 10 November 2026.
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Mellivora capensis (honey badger), checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.