Nose And Face Gray: Range: Southern New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, through Virginia to North Carolina Description: Back marked with saddles of brick-red outlined with black; saddles separated by pale gray; black-edged, dull collar back of head; nose and face gray, flecked with black; edges dark blood-red; grows to length of 30 inches.
Its hair is rather long, coarse, and black, but in typical forms the back from between the eyes to the base of the tail is blanketed with silver gray bordered by white, in strong contrast with the jet black of the limbs, face, and underparts. Some forms are entirely black, however, while in others only the top of the head is white. Like the skunk, the ratel has large, well-developed anal glands capable of ejecting at will a secretion that not only possesses a most objectional odor but has a burning effect when it comes in contact with the eyes, nose, and mouth.
The face, sides, legs, and underparts of both species are black, but the back is smoky gray in G. vittatus and yellowish gray in G. cuja; a white stripe across the forehead and down the sides of the neck separates the two body colors. Orisons are nocturnal and typically live in forests and woodlands; they are also found in modified rural habitats. They are mainly carnivorous but also eat fruit and honey. They live alone or in pairs and sometimes in small family groups. Females bear litters of two to four young. Grisons can be tamed and have been used to capture chinchillas and to destroy rats. |
