---
title: "black mamba vs honey badger — size, speed and bite force"
description: "black mamba and honey badger compared on mass, length, speed, bite force and lifespan — every measure side by side, with why the numbers cannot settle an encounter."
url: https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/black-mamba-vs-honey-badger/
site: "At One Place"
---

# black mamba vs honey badger

**black mamba vs honey badger: black mamba leads on 2 of 3 measures**

Measured comparison — not a prediction

The fastest snake and Africa's longest venomous one; it is named for the black inside of its mouth, not its colour. A small mustelid with loose, thick skin and a reputation for attacking animals many times its size. On the measurements below, black mamba leads on more of them — but they do not all point the same way, and the ones that disagree are the interesting part.

## The measurements

|  | black mamba | honey badger |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mass | 1–3.1 kg | 5–16 kg |
| Length | 2–4.3 m | 0.55–0.95 m |
| Height | — | 0.23–0.3 m |
| Top speed | 11–20 km/h | — |
| Lifespan | 10–20 yr | 5–24 yr |

## Where each one leads

- Mass: honey badger is 6.3× heavier.
- Length: black mamba is 3.3× longer.
- Lifespan: black mamba is 1.6× a longer life.

## What this does and does not tell you

These are measured averages with real ranges behind them, and every figure links to its own page. What they cannot do is settle an encounter. Outcomes between animals turn on circumstance — who initiates, whether either is hungry, defending young, injured or cornered, and what the terrain favours. Size and bite force are not decisive on their own, and most of these pairs never meet in the wild in any case, because their ranges do not overlap.

> Every figure here is an average with a substantial spread. Individual animals vary enormously — a large individual of the smaller species routinely exceeds a small individual of the larger one.

## Common questions

### Is a black mamba bigger than a honey badger?

honey badger is heavier — 5–16 kg against 1–3.1 kg.

### Who would win, a black mamba or a honey badger?

That is not something measurements can settle. The comparison above shows which animal leads on each measure, but an actual encounter depends on circumstance, motivation, health and terrain — and most pairs like this never meet in the wild.

## Related pages

- [How much does a black mamba weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/black-mamba/)
- [How much does a honey badger weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/honey-badger/)
- [cheetah vs honey badger](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cheetah-vs-honey-badger/)
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- [domestic cat vs honey badger](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/domestic-cat-vs-honey-badger/)
- [grizzly bear vs honey badger](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/grizzly-bear-vs-honey-badger/)
- [American black bear vs honey badger](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/american-black-bear-vs-honey-badger/)
- [giant panda vs honey badger](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/giant-panda-vs-honey-badger/)
- [gray wolf vs honey badger](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/gray-wolf-vs-honey-badger/)
- [coyote vs honey badger](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/coyote-vs-honey-badger/)
- [honey badger vs lion](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/honey-badger-vs-lion/)
- [honey badger vs tiger](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/honey-badger-vs-tiger/)
- [honey badger vs leopard](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/honey-badger-vs-leopard/)
- [honey badger vs jaguar](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/honey-badger-vs-jaguar/)

## Sources

- Wikidata — Wikimedia Foundation (https://www.wikidata.org/) [CC0 1.0]