🐺 Coyote vs Honey badger 🦡
The honey badger is about one and a half times as long as the coyote. The coyote weighs about one and a half times as much as the honey badger.
Getting the animals ready…
| Row | 🐺 Coyote | 🦡 Honey badger |
|---|---|---|
| Size The honey badger is about one and a half times as long as the coyote. | 16 to 20 in41 to 51 cm1 | 24 to 28 in60 to 70 cm2 |
| Top speed Neither has a checked number yet. | no checked number yet | no checked number yet |
| Weight The coyote weighs about one and a half times as much as the honey badger. | 25 to 35 lb11 to 16 kg1 | 18 to 26 lb8 to 12 kg2 |
| Lives The honey badger lives a bit longer than the coyote. | 6 years6 years1 | 7 to 8 years7 to 8 years2 |
| Eats Both eat plants and animals. | mice, rabbits, insects, berries and fruit | eggs, small rodents, snakes, birds and frogs |
| Lives in They can live in the same kind of place. | nearly all of North America, from deserts and forests to big cities | forests, grassland, rocky hills and deserts across most of Africa south of the Sahara and on the Arabian Peninsula |
Which one? Coyote or honey badger
🏁 Who would win the race?
We don't have a checked top speed for the coyote or 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 Coyote vs Honey badger
- The coyote: A clever wild dog whose yips and howls fill the night.
- 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 honey badger is about one and a half times as long as the coyote: 2 against 1.
- The coyote weighs about one and a half times as much as the honey badger. That is 1 for the coyote and 2 for the honey badger.
- The honey badger lives a bit longer than the coyote. Usual lifespans: 1 for the coyote and 2 for the honey badger.
- Both eat plants and animals. The coyote eats mice, rabbits, insects, berries and fruit; the honey badger eats eggs, small rodents, snakes, birds and frogs.
- The coyote lives in nearly all of North America, from deserts and forests to big cities. 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 coyote: doing fine (Least Concern on the IUCN Red List). 3
- The honey badger: doing fine (Least Concern on the IUCN Red List). 4
Wow facts
🐺 Coyote
- A coyote can hear a mouse moving under the snow.
- A few coyotes together can sound like a whole pack howling.
- Coyotes sometimes team up with badgers to hunt.
🦡 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 Coyote and Honey badger
Which is bigger, coyote or honey badger?
The honey badger is about one and a half times as long as the coyote: 2 against 1.
Which is heavier, coyote or honey badger?
The coyote weighs about one and a half times as much as the honey badger. That is 1 for the coyote and 2 for the honey badger.
Which lives longer, coyote or honey badger?
The honey badger lives a bit longer than the coyote. Usual lifespans: 1 for the coyote and 2 for the honey badger.
What do coyote and honey badger eat?
Both eat plants and animals. The coyote eats mice, rabbits, insects, berries and fruit; the honey badger eats eggs, small rodents, snakes, birds and frogs.
Where do coyote and honey badger live?
The coyote lives in nearly all of North America, from deserts and forests to big cities. 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.
Who would win, coyote 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/coyote-vs-honey-badger
Where these numbers come from
- National Park Service, Yellowstone, checked 30 October 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 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.