Golden Jackal

Genus: Canis
Species: aureus

The Jackal is much like a small wolf. It has long hair with a long and fluffy tail. It stands as tall as a moderately tall dog and has a bone structure common to the Canis family. It has long pointed ears and a medium sized pointed snout The body length of a Jackal is 70 to 80 cm. and its tail is about 25 cm. When standing, it is about 40 cm. high. The color of the Jackals fur is yellow to pale gold. The fur on a jackal is smooth. The claws of a Jackal are about a inch long. It weighs about 8 to 10 kg.

Golden Jackals find a mate for life. The two Jackals have pups together for about 8 years. The young Jackals are born in a den which is in the parents territory. Each litter can contain up to nine pups but 2 to 4 is the usual number. The pups are nursed for up to 8 weeks, then they are weaned, and start eating regurgitated food. They eat solid food at three months and are sexually mature at eleven months. Male and female mates live together for their entire lives and raise the young together. Jackals do not live in packs. Jackals survive in the wild for at the most 15 years.

In the winter it gets colder and the Jackal grows a thick coat of hair in preparation to this season. The Jackal has also adapted to eating insects.

Jackals are omnivores. They eat 54% meat and 46% plants and have a very varied diet. The foods they consume are young gazelles, rodents, hares, ground birds and their eggs, reptiles, frogs, fish, insects, and fruits.

The Jackal is a predator and it helps the environment by keeping the rodent, gazelle, bird, and frog population down.

The Golden Jackal is abundant in the Mediterranean chaparral. It is currently not on the endangered species list.

by Julius L.


bibliography:

"Jackal",
http://www.bio.metu.edu.tr/~e068698/jackal.html
(November 2, 2000)

"Golden or Asiatic jackal",
http://www.canids.org/SPPACCTS/caureas.html
(November 2, 2000)

"Canis aureus",
http://www.animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/canis/c._aureus
(November 2, 2000)