Jackal is a common name of any of four Old World wild dogs. The Asian, or golden, jackal (Canis aureus), is common from northern Africa to south-eastern Europe and India. The black backed jackal (Canis mesomelas), and the side-striped jackal (Canis adustus), inhabit eastern and southern Africa. The Simien jackal (Canis simensis), is found in central Ethiopia. Its size, narrow head, and pointed muzzle are fox like, but its other physical characteristics are similar to those of wolves. The coat is typically grizzled tawny buff in colour; the tip of the bushy tail is dark. The jackal feeds on carrion, small poultry, and occasionally fruit; it hunts at night, in small groups or in pairs, uttering its cry, called the pheal.
Jackals inhabit plains, deserts, and prairies, living during the day in holes in the ground. Their life span is 12 to 15 years.
Jackals interbreed with domestic dogs. Research Jackal
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Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Nature
Research Jackal
