These canines are known to defend their territory using their sharp teeth and claws to drive any intruders away. At the very least, a large pack may be able to chase the predator away. A pack of jackals may even be able to overwhelm a leopard or a hyena. Just think of how easily a common jackal would disappear into the light brown grass on the African savanna! This camouflaging helps to protect it if predators are in the area.Ī jackal that is walking alone is likely to run away from a threat while a large group of jackals may stand their ground against a predator. The color of their coat helps it to blend in with its territory. This speed helps them catch their prey and can keep them safe from some predators. They can run in short bursts of tremendous speed or for longer periods of time at a lower rate of speed. These canines are fast runners, with the fastest speed for a jackal being 40 mph. Alternatively, a 26-pound jackal weighs about the same as an average-sized dachshund. If you put one number two pencil on top of another, then you are looking at about the height of a common jackal. Remember, foxes and jackals are close relatives! Jackals have four slender legs, a trim body, and dark eyes that are always keeping watch on its surroundings.Ī jackal measures around 16 inches tall from its shoulder and weighs from 11 to 26 pounds. This animal has a long slim nose, large ears, and even a bushy tail that makes it look very similar to a fox. A similar process happens with these animals. If you have a dog, you may notice that its coat gets thicker or changes color a little bit with the seasons. The appearance of a jackal’s coat can become darker or lighter with the change of seasons. The common jackal has a coat that is a mixture of yellow, brown, and gold. The only difference between these three species is the color of their coat and the specific habitat they prefer to live in. Its family is Canidae and its class is Mammalia.Īlong with the common jackal, there are two other species including the side-striped jackal and the black-backed jackal. So, it makes sense that another name for the common jackal is the golden jackal. The word Canis is Latin for dog and aureus means golden. The scientific name of a common jackal is Canis aureus. These creatures are canines with relatives that include coyotes, foxes, and wolves.Jackals usually have from two to four pups in a litter.A group of jackals is sometimes called a pack or a tribe.Jackals are animals that hunt in pairs instead of looking for prey alone.Jackals in captivity can live as long as 16 years.These canines can live up to 12 years in the wild. A male and female jackal are monogamous meaning they stay together throughout their lives and the pair raises their pups together.
They are omnivores eating both plants and meat. Jackals are animals that make their home in different parts of Africa as well as in European countries such as Greece, Romania, Italy, and Bulgaria along with others.
Golden jackal update#
Under Monitoring Golden jackal we regularly update the newest observations.Jackals communicate with members of their pack using howls, growls, yipping, and even hooting sounds. We collect all evidences of golden jackals in Switzerland. In November / December 2011, for the first time camera traps captured a golden jackal in Switzerland. The association in packs or pairs renders them successful hunters. The jackals live in lifelong loyality and show an interesting social structure. The wolf is one of its predators and the fox is a competitor: the fox is also omnivorous, it is competing with the jackal for food. In Its size it stands somewhere between our wolf and fox. Since then, the African golden wolf ( Canis anthus) is recognised as a species.
2015 genetic studies revealed that the previous African subspecies is closer related to the wolf ( Canis lupus) than to the golden jackal. The golden jackal is member of the family Canidae. Originally, it is distributed across large parts of Arabia, India and the Middle East to Turkey. It may spread its range to Central Europe in consequence of rising temperatures. The golden jackal Canis aureus is not a Neozoa: it was not introduced into a new area by humans but benefits from the consequences of human activities such as the absence of wolves and the global warming.