The Greater Grison has a long body with short legs. The coat consists of long, soft hairs and has distinct color pattern. A white stripe runs from the forehead, over the ears and separates the black face and underside from the grayish back. Length of the head and body is 47-55 cm with a tail length of 16 cm.

Greater Grisons live in small groups and make dens out of rocky crevices, tree roots or underground tunnels. They hunt small rodents both day and night. They are skillful swimmers and climbers but spend most of their time on the ground.

The female gives birth in October to 2-4 young.

Greater Grisons are found in forests and grasslands at altitudes of up to 4,000 feet in Argentina, Bolivia, Columbia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Guyana, Mexico, (San Luis Potosi and Veracruz), Panama, Peru and Venezuela.