How does a jackal look like

Jackals are well adapted as long distance runners with their large feet and fused leg bones. Jackals are able to run for long periods of time maintaining speeds of 10 miles per hour. Jackals have similar features to dogs. The Common Jackal has a shorter and heavier appearance and has a sandy coloured coat while the Black-backed Jackal is the most slender and upstanding species with larger eyes and a distinctive black mantle streaked with silver on its back contrasting with a rusty coloured body.

The Side-striped Jackal is more dull in colour and has black and white stripes down the sides of its body and a white tipped tail. The Common and the Black-backed Jackals have black tipped tails. Jackals habitats include desert, grassy plains and open sometimes wooded savannas depending on species. The Common Jackal is generally found in deserts, steppes and semi-arid deserts, the Black-backed Jackal is found in woodlands and savannas and the Side-striped Jackal prefers marshes, bush land and mountains.

Jackals are nocturnal, omnivorous scavengers. With their long legs and curved canine teeth, they are well adapted for hunting. Some Jackals may gather to scavenge a carcass or to hunt larger prey such as antelope, gazelles and livestock but normally hunt alone or in pairs. Their diet consists of small mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles.

Jackals kill small prey with a bite to the back of the neck. They may also shake the animal. Jackals will also supplement their diet with insects, vegetation and fruit. Jackals have a habit of burying their food if an intruder enters the area where it is feeding. Jackals are very territorial and monogamous pairs will fiercely defend their territory from intruders.

Hyenas and leopards, on the other hand, will gladly kill a jackal whenever they get the opportunity. Jackals also understand the concept of storage; it is not uncommon for them to dig holes to bury pieces of meat. It is interesting that jackals can make distinct howls to communicate with their significant others across long distances, in case they cannot find each other. Pairs have also been observed to howl together, and it is believed that that is one way of strengthening their relationship.

Corbet, G. A World List of Mammalian Species. Third Edition. Oxford University Press, NY. Grzimek, Bernard. Encyclopedia of Mammals, Volume Four, pgs. MacDonald, D. Encyclopedia of Mammals, pgs. Facts on File Publications, NY. Nowak, Ronald M. Fifth Edition. Please log in again. The login page will open in a new tab. After logging in you can close it and return to this page.

Jackal wildlife guide to the jackal. Jackal characteristics There are three distinct species of jackal, all of which stand around 40 cm at the shoulder and weigh between 5 and 12 kilograms. Diet Jackals can be both diurnal and nocturnal. Fun jackal facts Jackals are surrounded by superstitions across many cultures due to the eerie howls they make at times.

They are monogamous with a pair typically mating for their entire lives. Have you seen a jackal on safari? Join in the comments section below, as sharing is caring! They are also very territorial and defend their territory as a team. They also hunt together. According to the ADW , jackal pairs who hunt together are three times more likely to get a successful kill than a single jackal. Jackals are often both diurnal and nocturnal.

This means that they are active during dawn, dusk and night. Side-striped jackals are the exception. They are strictly nocturnal. As omnivores, jackals like to eat both meat and vegetation.

Their diet consists of leftovers from other animals' kills, ground-dwelling birds, reptiles, antelopes, fruits, insects, berries and grass.

They're not picky, though. They will also eat human trash if something more suitable isn't available. Jackals will even eat decomposing or diseased flesh, according to Animal Planet. Jackals have one mate for life, and both parents help take care of the young. After a gestation period of 57 to 70 days, the female will give birth to two to four babies in her underground den. They are born with their eyes sealed shut and it take them around 10 days for their eyes to open.

Baby jackals are called pups. Pups eat mother's milk and regurgitated food until they are weaned at 2 months. Most jackal pup deaths happen before they are 14 weeks old.