The greater grison (''Galictis vittata'') is a species of
mustelid
The Mustelidae (; from Latin , weasel) are a diverse family of carnivoran mammals, including weasels, badgers, otters, polecats, martens, grisons, and wolverines. Otherwise known as mustelids (), they form the largest family in the suborde ...
native to Southern Mexico, Central America, and South America.
Description

The greater grison is a slender animal with short legs, a long neck, and a short, bushy tail. They are similar in appearance to the closely related
lesser grison
The lesser grison (''Galictis cuja'') is a species of mustelid from South America.
Description
Lesser grisons have a long, slender body, short legs, and a bushy tail. They have a long neck and a small head with a flattened forehead and rounded ...
, from which they can be most readily distinguished by their greater size, with a head-body length ranging from . Adults weigh between in the wild, but may become larger when reared in captivity.
The back, flanks, top of the head, and the tail are grizzled grey in color, while the rest of the body is much darker, and usually solid black. A narrow whitish stripe separates the darker and lighter fur on the head and shoulder, but not further back, where the two colors may, in some individuals, blur into one another. The tail is long, and covered with bushy hair similar in color to that on the animal's back. The head is flattened and broad, with short, rounded ears, and dark brown to black eyes. The legs are muscular, with five webbed toes, each ending in a sharp, curved claw.
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Distribution and habitat
Greater grisons are native to North and South America, ranging from southern Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
in the north, to central Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
, Peru
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
, and Bolivia
Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...
in the south. They inhabit a wide range of forest and cerrado
The Cerrado () is a vast ecoregion of Tropics, tropical savanna in central Brazil, being present in the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Tocantins, Maranhão, Piauí, Bahia, Minas Gerais, São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Paraná ...
habitats, and are usually seen near rivers and streams. They are typically found at elevations below , but they may be found as high as in some parts of the Bolivian Andes.[ In some regions, they may also be found in cultivated areas, such as plantations and rice paddies.] Four living, and one fossil subspecies are recognised:
* ''Galictis vittata vittata'' – northern South America
* ''Galictis vittata andina'' – Peru and Bolivia
* ''Galictis vittata brasiliensis'' – Brazil
* ''Galictis vittata canaster'' – Central America and southern Mexico
* † ''Galictis vittata fossilis'' – Pleistocene
The Pleistocene ( ; referred to colloquially as the ''ice age, Ice Age'') is the geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fin ...
Brazil[
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Behaviour
Greater grisons are primarily terrestrial
Terrestrial refers to things related to land or the planet Earth, as opposed to extraterrestrial.
Terrestrial may also refer to:
* Terrestrial animal, an animal that lives on land opposed to living in water, or sometimes an animal that lives on o ...
, although they can climb trees and swim well. They are mostly diurnal, and only occasionally active at night.[ They live alone or in pairs, with ]home range
A home range is the area in which an animal lives and moves on a periodic basis. It is related to the concept of an animal's territory which is the area that is actively defended. The concept of a home range was introduced by W. H. Burt in 1943. ...
s of at least , and a very low population density, such that they are rarely encountered in the wild. They spend the night sleeping in cavities in hollow logs or beneath tree roots, or else in the abandoned burrows of other animals.
Little is known of their diet, although it consists largely of small vertebrates, such as fish, amphibians, birds, and other mammals. While hunting, they move in a zigzag pattern, making short bounds and occasionally stopping to look around with their heads raised and sniff the air. When moving more cautiously, they press their bodies close to the ground in a movement that has been described as 'snake-like'. They have been reported to respond to threats with a series of grunts that rise in intensity and frequency until they become rapid barks, and finally a single loud scream with their teeth bared.[
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Biology
Like many other mustelid
The Mustelidae (; from Latin , weasel) are a diverse family of carnivoran mammals, including weasels, badgers, otters, polecats, martens, grisons, and wolverines. Otherwise known as mustelids (), they form the largest family in the suborde ...
s, greater grisons possess anal scent gland
Scent gland are exocrine glands found in most mammals. They produce semi-viscous secretions which contain pheromones and other semiochemical compounds. These odor-messengers indicate information such as status, territorial marking, mood, and se ...
s that secrete a yellowish or greenish musk
Musk is a class of aromatic substances commonly used as base notes in perfumery. They include glandular secretions from animals such as the musk deer, numerous plants emitting similar fragrances, and artificial substances with similar odors. ' ...
. Although not especially noxious in comparison with that of other species, this can be sprayed at attackers, as well as being used to mark the grison's territory.[
Litters of up to four young are born from March to September, after a ]gestation
Gestation is the period of development during the carrying of an embryo, and later fetus, inside viviparous animals (the embryo develops within the parent). It is typical for mammals, but also occurs for some non-mammals. Mammals during pregn ...
period of 39 days. Newborn young weigh less than , and are initially blind, although with a short coat of hair already bearing the adult pattern. Their eyes open after two weeks, and they begin to eat solid food at three weeks, reaching the adult size in just four months.[ They have lived for at least ten years in captivity.][
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References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q283426
Carnivorans of North America
Carnivorans of Central America
Mammals of Bolivia
Carnivorans of Brazil
Mammals of Colombia
Mammals of Mexico
Mammals of Peru
Mammals of Venezuela
Fauna of the Amazon
Least concern biota of North America
Least concern biota of South America
Mammals described in 1776
Taxa named by Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber