Lesser Grison

The lesser grison is smaller than the greater grison, with a long, slender body, short legs and a bushy tail. Its head is small with a flattened forehead and rounded ears. The top of the head, back, flanks and tail are coarsely grizzled grey, with black guard hairs tipped buff over a softer undercoat, while the rest of the body is black or nearly so. A pale buff stripe runs from the forehead to the shoulders along the edge of the grey fur. The feet are webbed, with five toes and sharp curved claws, and females are slightly smaller and more slender than males (Wikipedia, general species account).

Lesser grisons hunt mostly by day, locating prey partly by scent, and they live alone or in small family groups that travel in single file. They are monogamous and hunt together while raising litters. They sleep in hollow trees, crevices or burrows, and a burrow system may reach 4m deep and house four or five individuals (Wikipedia, general species account; Handbook of the Mammals of the World). Their anal glands release a noxious musk, probably weaker than that of a skunk. They are among the major predators of cavies and nesting grebes, and in coastal south-eastern Argentina rodents and European hares make up most of their prey (Wikipedia, general species account; Handbook of the Mammals of the World).

Bolivia lies within the lesser grison's range. Most Bolivian localities are between 2,000 and 4,200m, frequently near water (Handbook of the Mammals of the World). The subspecies G. c. luteola is recorded from western Bolivia and south-east Peru (Handbook of the Mammals of the World). In Bolivia its pelts have been stuffed with wool and decorated with ribbons and paper for use as ritual offerings to Pachamama (Wikipedia, general species account).