---
title: "hippopotamus vs honey badger — size, speed and bite force"
description: "hippopotamus 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/hippopotamus-vs-honey-badger/
site: "At One Place"
---

# hippopotamus vs honey badger

**hippopotamus vs honey badger: hippopotamus leads on 4 of 4 measures**

Measured comparison — not a prediction

A semi-aquatic grazer, the third-heaviest land mammal and among the most dangerous to people. A small mustelid with loose, thick skin and a reputation for attacking animals many times its size. On the measurements below, hippopotamus 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

|  | hippopotamus | honey badger |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mass | 1,300–3,200 kg | 5–16 kg |
| Length | 3.3–5 m | 0.55–0.95 m |
| Height | 1.3–1.65 m | 0.23–0.3 m |
| Top speed | 25–30 km/h | — |
| Bite force | 1,800 psi | — |
| Lifespan | 40–55 yr | 5–24 yr |

## Where each one leads

- Mass: hippopotamus is 150× heavier.
- Length: hippopotamus is 4.7× longer.
- Height: hippopotamus is 5.6× taller.
- Lifespan: hippopotamus is 6.4× 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 hippopotamus bigger than a honey badger?

hippopotamus is heavier — 1,300–3,200 kg against 5–16 kg.

### Who would win, a hippopotamus 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 hippopotamus weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/hippopotamus/)
- [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/)
- [cheetah vs hippopotamus](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cheetah-vs-hippopotamus/)
- [cougar vs honey badger](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cougar-vs-honey-badger/)
- [cougar vs hippopotamus](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cougar-vs-hippopotamus/)
- [domestic cat vs honey badger](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/domestic-cat-vs-honey-badger/)
- [domestic cat vs hippopotamus](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/domestic-cat-vs-hippopotamus/)
- [grizzly bear vs honey badger](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/grizzly-bear-vs-honey-badger/)
- [grizzly bear vs hippopotamus](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/grizzly-bear-vs-hippopotamus/)
- [American black bear vs honey badger](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/american-black-bear-vs-honey-badger/)
- [American black bear vs hippopotamus](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/american-black-bear-vs-hippopotamus/)
- [giant panda vs honey badger](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/giant-panda-vs-honey-badger/)
- [giant panda vs hippopotamus](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/giant-panda-vs-hippopotamus/)

## Sources

- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Smithsonian Institution (https://naturalhistory.si.edu/)
- Wikidata — Wikimedia Foundation (https://www.wikidata.org/) [CC0 1.0]