Galictis

A grison /ˈɡrɪzən/, also known as a South American wolverine,[1] is any mustelid in the genus Galictis. Native to Central and South America, the genus contains two extant species: the greater grison (Galictis vittata), which is found widely in South America, through Central America to southern Mexico; and the lesser grison (Galictis cuja), which is restricted to the southern half of South America.

"Grison" redirects here. For the French wine grape, see Grison (grape). For the canton in Switzerland, see Grisons.

Galictis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Mustelidae
Subfamily: Ictonychinae
Genus: Galictis
Bell, 1826
Species

Galictis cuja
Galictis vittata

Galictis range

Names

The generic name Galictis joins two Greek words: galē (γαλῆ, "weasel") and iktis (ἴκτις, marten/weasel).[2] Compare the word Galidictis (a mongoose genus).

The common name grison is from a French word for "gray", a variant of gris, also meaning "gray".[3]

Locally, in Spanish, it is referred to as a huroncito (literally "little ferret") or grisón. In Portuguese, it is a furão.

Description

Grisons measure up to 60 cm (24 in) in length,[4] and weigh between 1 and 3 kg (2.2 and 6.6 lb). The lesser grison is slightly smaller than the greater grison. Grisons generally resemble a skunk, but with a smaller tail, shorter legs, wider neck, and more robust body. The pelage along the back is a frosted gray with black legs, throat, face, and belly. A sharp white stripe extends from the forehead to the back of the neck.

Habitat

They are found in a wide range of habitats from semi-open shrub and woodland to low-elevation forests. They are generally terrestrial, burrowing and nesting in holes in fallen trees or rock crevices, often living underground. They are omnivorous, consuming fruit and small animals (including mammals). Little is known about grison behavior for multiple reasons, including that their necks are so wide compared to their heads, an unusual difficulty that has made radio tracking problematic.

Evolution

Extant species
ImageScientific nameCommon nameDistribution
Galictis cujaLesser grisonBrazil, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay
Galictis vittataGreater grisonsouthern Mexico in the north, to central Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia in the south.

Fossils

Grisons first appeared in South America during the early Pleistocene about 2.5 million years ago. They may be descended from the fossil genera Trigonictis and Sminthosinus, which lived in North America during the mid to late Pliocene.[5] There are at least three known fossil species, all of which were found in Argentina:[4]

  • † Galictis hennigi
  • † Galictis sanandresensis
  • † Galictis sorgentinii

References
  1. ZipcodeZoo - Online Encyclopedia About Plants & Animals
  2. "Galictis". Merriam-Webster Dictionary. "New Latin, from Greek galē weasel + iktis yellow-breasted marten".
    Lewis and Short defines ictis (ἴκτις) simply as "a kind of weasel". Brill's New Pauly likewise also notes that "ἴκτις/íktis may be a weasel"
  3. "grison". Merriam-Webster Dictionary. "French, from grison gray, from Middle French, from gris"
  4. Yensen, E.; Tarifa, T. (2003). "Galictis vittata". Mammalian Species: Number 727: pp. 1–8. doi:10.1644/727.
  5. Yensen, E.; Tarifa, T. (2003). "Galictis cuja". Mammalian Species: Number 728: pp. 1–8. doi:10.1644/728.
  • Nowak, Ronald M. (2005). Walker's Carnivores of the World. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press ISBN 0-8018-8032-7
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