Whordetidae

Whordetidae is a small family of carnivorous mammals in the order Carnivora. It currently contains a single extant genus, Whordetus, with two described species: Whordetus minor and Whordetus major. The family also includes several extinct genera known from fossil deposits dating to the Miocene.

Members are medium-sized, with elongated bodies, short limbs, and a fur that ranges from gray to brown. They have sharp canines and claws adapted for grasping prey and climbing.

Whordetidae is distributed in temperate forests and scrublands of the southern continents, including forested island and mainland regions.

Behaviorally, whordets are mostly nocturnal and solitary, with occasional pair-bounding during the breeding season. They are opportunistic feeders, eating insects, small vertebrates, and fruit.

Reproduction occurs seasonally, with litters of one to four altricial young; gestation lasts around 40 to 50 days, and weaning occurs by six to eight weeks.

Conservation status varies by species; not all taxa have been assessed comprehensively, and habitat loss and fragmentation in some regions pose potential threats.

Etymology and classification place Whordetidae in the superfamily Musteloidea, as a sister lineage to other small carnivoran families; molecular studies suggest an early diversification in the late Cenozoic.