🦡 Honey badger vs Spotted hyena 🐾
The spotted hyena is about twice as long as the honey badger. The spotted hyena weighs about 6 times as much as the honey badger.
Getting the animals ready…
| Row | 🦡 Honey badger | 🐾 Spotted hyena |
|---|---|---|
| Size The spotted hyena is about twice as long as the honey badger. | 24 to 28 in60 to 70 cm1 | 4.1 to 6.1 ft1.3 to 1.9 m2 |
| Top speed We don't have a checked number for the honey badger yet. | no checked number yet | 37 mph60 km/h2 |
| Weight The spotted hyena weighs about 6 times as much as the honey badger. | 18 to 26 lb8 to 12 kg1 | 99 to 154 lb45 to 70 kg2 |
| Lives The spotted hyena usually lives about 3 times as long as the honey badger. | 7 to 8 years7 to 8 years1 | 20 years20 years2 |
| Eats The honey badger eats plants and animals; the spotted hyena eats meat. | eggs, small rodents, snakes, birds and frogs | land animals that have a backbone |
| Lives in They can live in the same kind of place. | forests, grassland, rocky hills and deserts across most of Africa south of the Sahara and on the Arabian Peninsula | open, dry places across Africa south of the Sahara, from semi-desert to savanna and mountain forest |
Which one? Honey badger or spotted hyena
🏁 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 Honey badger vs Spotted hyena
- The honey badger: A short, strong animal from Africa and Asia that eats eggs, snakes and more.
- The spotted hyena: A strong African animal with a spotted coat and a sloping back.
- They are the same kind of animal: both are mammals.
- The spotted hyena is about twice as long as the honey badger: 2 against 1.
- The spotted hyena weighs about 6 times as much as the honey badger. That is 1 for the honey badger and 2 for the spotted hyena.
- The spotted hyena usually lives about 3 times as long as the honey badger. Usual lifespans: 1 for the honey badger and 2 for the spotted hyena.
- The honey badger eats eggs, small rodents, snakes, birds and frogs. The spotted hyena eats land animals that have a backbone.
- The honey badger lives in forests, grassland, rocky hills and deserts across most of Africa south of the Sahara and on the Arabian Peninsula. The spotted hyena lives in open, dry places across Africa south of the Sahara, from semi-desert to savanna and mountain forest. They can live in the same kind of place.
- The honey badger: doing fine (Least Concern on the IUCN Red List). 3
- The spotted hyena: doing fine (Least Concern on the IUCN Red List). 4
Wow facts
🦡 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.
🐾 Spotted hyena
- A spotted hyena can run fast over a long way.
- It lives in savanna, semi-desert and mountain forest.
- It also cleans up what other animals leave.
Questions kids ask about Honey badger and Spotted hyena
Which is bigger, honey badger or spotted hyena?
The spotted hyena is about twice as long as the honey badger: 2 against 1.
Which is heavier, honey badger or spotted hyena?
The spotted hyena weighs about 6 times as much as the honey badger. That is 1 for the honey badger and 2 for the spotted hyena.
Which lives longer, honey badger or spotted hyena?
The spotted hyena usually lives about 3 times as long as the honey badger. Usual lifespans: 1 for the honey badger and 2 for the spotted hyena.
What do honey badger and spotted hyena eat?
The honey badger eats eggs, small rodents, snakes, birds and frogs. The spotted hyena eats land animals that have a backbone.
Where do honey badger and spotted hyena live?
The honey badger lives in forests, grassland, rocky hills and deserts across most of Africa south of the Sahara and on the Arabian Peninsula. The spotted hyena lives in open, dry places across Africa south of the Sahara, from semi-desert to savanna and mountain forest. They can live in the same kind of place.
Do spotted hyenas eat honey badgers?
The spotted hyena eats land animals that have a backbone. Honey badgers are not in that list, which comes from its page.
Who would win, honey badger or spotted hyena?
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/honey-badger-vs-spotted-hyena
Where these numbers come from
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Mellivora capensis (honey badger), checked 10 November 2026.
- University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Animal Diversity Web: Crocuta crocuta (spotted hyena), checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 10 November 2026.