{{Short description|Genus of carnivores}}{{redirect|Grison|the French wine grape|Grison (grape)|the canton in Switzerland|Grisons}}{{more footnotes needed|date=November 2013}}{{Automatic taxobox | name = Grison | image = Galictis.jpg | taxon = Galictis | authority = Bell, 1826 | type_species = ''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 ''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, it is referred to as a {{lang|es|huroncito}} (literally "little ferret") or {{lang|es|grisón}}. In 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 == {{Unreferenced section|date=January 2026}} 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, one of which is that their necks are so wide compared to their heads. This has made radio tracking problematic.{{citation needed|date=December 2013}}
==Evolution== ===Extant species=== {{multiple issues|section=yes|{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2026}}{{missing info|table|their size & ecology|date=January 2026}}}} {{Species table |genus= Galictis |authority-name=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 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== {{Reflist}} * Nowak, Ronald M. (2005). ''Walker's Carnivores of the World''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press {{ISBN|0-8018-8032-7}} {{Wikispecies|Galictis}} {{Carnivora|M.}} {{Musteloidea|Mae.|state=collapsed}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q756008}}
Category:Ictonychinae Category:Carnivora genera Category:Mammals of South America Category:Taxa named by Thomas Bell (zoologist)