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978 Featured Specimen
Zorilla

Details

Zorilla

Ictonyx striatus

Size
28–38 cm · 0.6–1.3 kg
Diet
Carnivore
Activity
Nocturnal
Sociality
Solitary
Lifespan

Zorilla is a mammal associated with grasslands and savannas. It is carnivorous and usually solitary. It remains widespread in parts of its range, but local habitat change still matters.

Range

Habitat range map
Native range Occasional / Transient
AfrotropicalAfrotropicalAfrotropicalAfrotropical

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Details

Habitat

Its range is represented here by the Afrotropics, where it uses grasslands and savannas. Mobile species may shift habitat use with season, breeding sites, or food availability.

Appearance

Typical length 28-38 cm, weight 600 g-1.3 kg. It has a long-bodied carnivore profile, with proportions shaped by its habitat and mode of movement.

Behavior

It is mostly active at night and usually solitary. Spacing, group size, and visibility can change with season, feeding conditions, and breeding activity.

Feeding

It is carnivorous. Food choice and foraging style are tied to life in grasslands and savannas, so movements often follow available food resources.

Reproduction

As a mammal, it gives birth to live young, and the mother nurses them in cover or within the social group.

Notes

Recorded scientifically as Ictonyx striatus. It remains widespread in parts of its range, but local habitat change still matters. In this guide, size, habitat, and activity pattern are useful first clues for recognition.