View source for Galictis

{{Short description|Genus of carnivores}}
{{redirect|Grison|the French wine grape|Grison (grape)|the canton in Switzerland|Grisons}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| name = Grison
| image = Galictis.jpg
| taxon = Galictis
| authority = [[Thomas Bell (zoologist)|Bell]], 1826 
| type_species = ''[[Greater grison|Viverra vittata]]''
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = ''[[Galictis cuja]]'' <br>
''[[Galictis vittata]]''
| range_map = Galictis range.png
| range_map_caption = ''Galictis'' range
}}

A '''grison''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|g|r|ɪ|z|ə|n}}, {{IPAc-en|ˈ|g|r|aɪ|s|ə|n}}) is any [[mustelid]] in the [[genus]] '''''Galictis'''''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://zipcodezoo.com/Key/Animalia/Galictis_Genus.asp|title=ZipcodeZoo - Online Encyclopedia About Plants & Animals|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141221151346/http://zipcodezoo.com/Key/Animalia/Galictis_Genus.asp|archive-date=21 December 2014}}</ref> 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.

== Names ==
The [[generic name (biology)|generic name]] ''Galictis'' joins two Greek words: {{Transliteration|grc|galē}} ({{lang|grc|γαλῆ}}, "[[weasel]]") and {{Transliteration|grc|iktis}} ({{lang|grc|ἴκτις}}, [[marten]]/weasel).<ref>{{Merriam-Webster|Galictis}} "New Latin, from Greek {{Transliteration|grc|galē}} weasel + {{Transliteration|grc|iktis}} yellow-breasted marten". <br>[[Lewis and Short]] defines ''ictis'' ({{lang|grc|ἴκτις}}) simply as "a kind of weasel".[http://archimedes.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/cgi-bin/archim/dict/hw?lemma=ictis&step=entry&id=d003] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102223232/http://archimedes.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/cgi-bin/archim/dict/hw?lemma=ictis&step=entry&id=d003 |date=2013-11-02 }} ''[[Brill's New Pauly]]'' likewise also notes  that "{{lang|grc|ἴκτις}}/{{Transliteration|grc|íktis}} may be a weasel"[http://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/brill-s-new-pauly/marten-e723190?s.num=10&s.start=20]</ref> Compare the word ''[[Galidictis]]'' (a mongoose genus).

The [[common name]] ''{{linktext|grison}}'' is from a French word for "gray", a variant of {{wikt-lang|fr|gris}}, also meaning "gray".<ref>{{Merriam-Webster|grison}} "French, from {{lang|fr|grison}} gray, from [[Middle French]], from {{lang|frm|gris}}"</ref>

Locally, in [[Spanish language|Spanish]], it is referred to as a {{lang|es|huroncito}} (literally "little ferret") or {{lang|es|grisón}}. In [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], it is a {{lang|pt|furão}}.{{Citation needed|date=August 2009}}

== Description ==
Grisons measure up to {{convert|60|cm|abbr=on}} in length,<ref name=Yensen2003>{{cite journal|author1=Yensen, E.|author2=Tarifa, T.|year=2003|title=''Galictis vittata''|journal=Mammalian Species|volume=727 |pages=Number 727: pp. 1–8|doi=10.1644/727|s2cid=198121748 }}</ref> and weigh between {{convert|1|and|3|kg|abbr=on}}. The lesser grison is slightly smaller than the greater grison. Grisons generally resemble a [[honey badger]], but with a smaller, thinner 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 behaviour for multiple reasons, including that their necks are so wide compared to their heads, that has made radio tracking problematic.{{citation needed|date=December 2013}}

==Evolution==
===Extant species===
{{Species table |genus= Galictis |authority-name=[[Thomas Bell (zoologist)|Bell]]|authority-year= 1826 |species-count=two|no-note=y|narrow-percent=75}}

{{Species table/row
|name= Lesser grison|binomial=[[Galictis cuja]]
|image=File:Galictis.jpg|image-size=180px |image-alt=
|authority-name=Molina|authority-year= 1782 |authority-not-original=yes
|range=  Brazil, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay
|range-image=File:Distribuição geográfica do furão-pequeno.png
|range-image-size=180px
|size=
|habitat=
|hunting=
|iucn-status= LC
|population=
|direction=
|subspecies={{Collapsible list |expand=yes |title=Four subspecies |bullets=on
|''G. c. cuja'' 
|''G. c. furax'' 
|''G. c. huronax'' 
|''G. c. luteola''
}}
}}

{{Species table/row
|name= Greater grison|binomial=[[Galictis vittata]]
|image=File:Greater grison.jpg|image-size=180px |image-alt=
|authority-name=Schreber|authority-year= 1776 |authority-not-original=yes
|range=  southern Mexico in the north, to central Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia in the south 
|range-image=File:Greater Grison area.png
|range-image-size=180px
|size=
|habitat=
|hunting=
|iucn-status= LC
|population=
|direction=
|subspecies={{Collapsible list |expand=yes |title=Five subspecies |bullets=on
| ''G. v. vittata'' 
| ''G. v. andina'' 
| ''G. v. brasiliensis'' 
| ''G. v. canaster'' 
| † ''G. v. fossilis''
}}
}}
{{Species table/end}}

===Fossils===
Grisons first appeared in South America during the early [[Pleistocene]] about 2.5&nbsp;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]].<ref name=Yensen2003a>{{cite journal|author1=Yensen, E.|author2=Tarifa, T.|year=2003|title=''Galictis cuja''|journal=Mammalian Species|volume=728 |pages=Number 728: pp. 1–8|doi= 10.1644/728|doi-access=|s2cid=198124064 }}</ref> There are  at least three known fossil species, all of which were found in [[Argentina]]:<ref name=Yensen2003/>

* † ''Galictis hennigi''
* † ''Galictis sanandresensis''
* † ''Galictis sorgentinii''

==References==
{{Wikispecies|Galictis}}
{{more footnotes needed|date=November 2013}}
{{Reflist}}
* Nowak, Ronald M. (2005). ''Walker's Carnivores of the World''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press {{ISBN|0-8018-8032-7}}

{{Carnivora|M.}}
{{Musteloidea|Mae.|state=collapsed}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q756008}}

[[Category:Ictonychinae]]
[[Category:Carnivoran genera]]
[[Category:Mammals of South America]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Thomas Bell (zoologist)]]