Galictis
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A grison (Template:IPAc-en, Template:IPAc-en) is any mustelid in the genus Galictis.[1] 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 Galictis joins two Greek words: Template:Transliteration (Script error: No such module "Lang"., "weasel") and Template:Transliteration (Script error: No such module "Lang"., marten/weasel).[2] Compare the word Galidictis (a mongoose genus).
The common name Template:Linktext is from a French word for "gray", a variant of Template:Wikt-lang, also meaning "gray".[3]
Locally, in Spanish, it is referred to as a Script error: No such module "Lang". (literally "little ferret") or Script error: No such module "Lang".. In Portuguese, it is a Script error: No such module "Lang"..Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
Description
Grisons measure up to Template:Convert in length,[4] and weigh between Template:Convert. 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.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
Evolution
Extant species
Template:Species table/row Template:Species table/end
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
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- Nowak, Ronald M. (2005). Walker's Carnivores of the World. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press Template:ISBN
Template:Carnivora Template:Musteloidea Template:Taxonbar
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Template:Merriam-Webster "New Latin, from Greek Template:Transliteration weasel + Template:Transliteration yellow-breasted marten".
Lewis and Short defines ictis (Script error: No such module "Lang".) simply as "a kind of weasel".[1] Template:Webarchive Brill's New Pauly likewise also notes that "Script error: No such module "Lang"./Template:Transliteration may be a weasel"[2] - ↑ Template:Merriam-Webster "French, from Script error: No such module "Lang". gray, from Middle French, from Script error: No such module "Lang"."
- ↑ a b Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".