Distribution: North & East Africa, South Asia to Burma and Southeastern Europe.
Habitat: mainly dry, open country, short grasslands. Sometimes bush country, but not thick forest.
Size: body length - 70-80cm, tall - about 25cm, height at shoulders - 40 cm. Weight - 8-11kg.
Life span: 8-9 years in the wild. Up to 16 years in captivity.
Food: young gazelles, rodents, hares, birds, eggs, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects & fruit. Sometimes carrion (dead animals) left by lions and other big cats that the jackals often follow.
Jackals are true members of the dog family and can actually interbreed with both domestic dogs and wolves.
There are four species of jackal:
- Golden jackal -Sometimes known as the common or Indian jackal. The golden jackal is the largest species of jackal.
- Black-backed jackal - Sometimes known as the silver-backed
- Side-striped jackal
- Simien jackal - these are very rare
The golden jackal's Latin name, Canis aureas, means 'golden dog' and it is the most northerly and the most widely distributed of all the jackal species. Its home range overlaps only with the black-backed jackal in East Africam savannas.Read More: Golden Jackal Habits