Galidictis

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Galidictis
Mungo1.jpg
Galidictis grandidieri
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Eupleridae
Subfamily: Galidiinae
Genus: Galidictis
Galidictis range.png
Galidictis ranges

Galidictis is a genus in the subfamily Galidiinae of the family Eupleridae: a group of carnivorans that are endemic to Madagascar.[1] The name is from two ancient Greek words that both approximately mean ‘weasel’: galid- (see Galidia) and iktis.[2]

It contains the following two species and two subspecies: [1]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M., eds. (2005). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. "Galidictis". ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494. 
  2. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary notes it being "NL, fr. Gk galideus young weasel + iktis yellow-breasted marten [an ambiguous common name that might be the weasel]." However, Lewis and Short describes ictis (ἴκτις) as simply "a kind of weasel".[1] Brill’s New Pauly likewise also writes that "ἴκτις/íktis may be a weasel"[2].