Galictis

Galictis is a genus of mustelid, commonly called grisons, native to Central and South America and containing two living species: the greater grison (Galictis vittata), found from southern Mexico through Central America into South America, and the lesser grison (Galictis cuja), restricted to the southern half of South America. These small carnivores grow up to 60 centimeters long and weigh 1 to 3 kilograms, with a frosted gray back, black legs and face, and a white stripe running from the forehead to the back of the neck, giving them a resemblance to a compact honey badger. Grisons live terrestrially in shrubland and forest habitats, denning in burrows and rock crevices, and eat both fruit and small animals; the genus first appears in the South American fossil record in the early Pleistocene, about 2.5 million years ago, likely descended from North American fossil relatives, and both living species are assessed as least concern.