#1 Greater Grison (Galictis vittata)

The greater grison has a range from the coast of eastern Mexico to as far south as the northern half of South America.

Appearance

The greater grison has a small and flat head with whitish rounded ears. The bottom half of the head right below the eyes is black, while the dorsum is grey with white or grey-tipped dorsal guard hairs, and is separated from the black or grizzled under-parts on the rest of its body by a light-colored, half-inch wide stripe. This stripe runs across their forehead and down the sides of either shoulder. Their tails have bushy fur that is similar in colour to that of their backs. The dorsum fur is reported to be fairly coarse, while the darker undercoat is much smoother. They have five webbed toes. ⁽¹⁾

Habitat

Greater grisons are typically seen near rivers, streams, wetlands, and a wide range of forest cerrado habitats. They tend to be found in elevations below 500 metres (1,600 ft). In some regions, they have been observed in cultivated areas such as plantations, cane fields, and partially flooded rice paddies.⁽¹⁾

Behaviour

They are most active during the day, and spend their nights in vacated burrows of other animals.⁽²⁾ Despite being a terrestrial animal, the greater grison is both an excellent climber of trees and swimmer, with the latter skill being assisted by their webbed toes.⁽¹⁾ If raised in captivity from a young age, greater grisons have been reported to make affectionate pets. In some cases, they are also kept for the purpose of controlling rodent populations. Both wild and captive greater grisons have been described as playful and inquisitive.⁽¹⁾

Reproduction

There is little information regarding the mating system of the greater grison. The gestation period lasts for 39 days, before litters of up to 4 young are born from March to September. They weigh less than 50 grams (1.8 oz) and are blind until their eyes open 2 weeks later. They start to consume solid food in about 3 weeks and are fully grown in just 4 months.⁽²⁾

Diet

The greater grison will hunt alone or in pairs, and feed on birds, small mammals, as well as fruits and vegetables. In captivity, the greater grison has been observed to hold food items with their forepaws, but they do not appear to use their forepaws to manipulate food items.⁽¹⁾

Predators

We have found no information regarding predators of the greater grison.

Body length: 45–60 cm / 18–24 in (males), 50 cm / 20 in (females)
Tail length: 14–20 cm / 5.5–7.9 in
Weight: 1.5–3.8 kg / 3.3–8.4 lb (males), 1.8 kg / 4 lb (females)
Lifespan: Unknown (wild), up to 10 years (captivity)
Range: The coast of eastern Mexico, northern half of South America.
Conservation status: Least concern
Subfamily: Ictonychinae
Recognised subspecies⁽³⁾

References

#2 Lesser Grison (Galictis cuja)

The lesser grison is found across central and southern South America.

Appearance

The lesser grison has a black coloration beginning from the nose, extending below the ears and into the chest and underbelly. The dorsal coloration is grizzled grey with yellowish undertones, separated from the black underside by a pale buff-coloured stripe that runs from the forehead to the shoulders along the lower margin of the grey furred area. They have five webbed toes.⁽¹⁾ The lesser grison is smaller than the greater grison.

Habitat

They are usually found near water from sea level to as high as 4,200 metres (13,800 ft) elevation. They are usually found near water but occupy a wide range of habitats, such as deciduous and evergreen forests, grasslands, scrub, and mountainous regions. In some areas they will also inhabit agricultural land and pasture.⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾ They tend to live in rocks under tree roots or abandoned burrows.⁽³⁾

Behaviour

The lesser grison can be either solitary or live in small groups of 2 or more consisting of parents and offspring. They form monogamous mating pairs—hunting together while raising their young. They sleep in hollow trees, natural crevices, or excavated burrows overnight. Some burrows may be as deep as 4 m (13 ft) and have entrances obscured by leaves.⁽¹⁾

Reproduction

There is little information regarding the mating system of the lesser grison. The gestation period lasts for about 40 days, before 2 to 5 young are born in March, August, October, and September.⁽¹⁾⁽³⁾

Diet

Their diet consists of small mammals, amphibians, small reptiles, eggs, and fruit.⁽³⁾ They are considered major predators of cavies, wild guinea pigs, and nesting grebes.⁽⁴⁾

Predators

We have found no information regarding predators of the lesser grison.

Body length: 27–52 cm / 11–20 in
Tail length: 14–19 cm / 5.5–7.5 in
Weight: 1.2–2.4 kg / 2.6–5.3 lb
Lifespan: Unknown (wild), up to 10 years (captivity)
Range: Central and southern South America.
Conservation status: Least concern
Subfamily: Ictonychinae
Recognised subspecies⁽⁵⁾

References

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