Kingdom: Animals (Animalia)
Phylum (Phulum): Chordates (Chordata)
Subphylum (Subphulum): Vertebrates (Vertebrata)
Class (Classa): Mammals (Mammalia)
Order (Ordo): Carnivores (Carnivora)
Family (Familia): Dogs (Canidae)
Genus (Genus): Canines (Canis)
Species (Species): Golden Jackal (Canis aureus), Side-striped Jackal (Canis adustus), Black-backed Jackal (Canis mesomelas)
Ancient people called them "golden wolf". Arabs call them dib which means the one who howls.
There are three species of jackal: Golden, Side-striped and Black-backed. There is also Simien Jackal, but is usually regarded as wolf, although it is more similar to jackal by body type.
The God of mummification with a head of the jackal – Anubis – in ancient Egypt, oversaw the balsaming process and weighed the heart of the deceased.
Appearance
They are 45–50 cm tall, weigh 6–15 kg and almost one meter long. They look more like fox than the wolf. Snout is pointier than in wolves, but duller than in foxes. Medium long and rough hair has many colours so it is difficult to name it.
Lifestyle
They are less social dogs than wolves so most of them live coupled. Judging the lifestyle, they are the link between wolves and foxes.
The Golden Jackal couple will stay together their whole lives, hunting and mating, patrolling and marking the territory together... that is unless one of them dies.
Their main characteristic is distinct howl which gathers them and marks the beginning of the hunt. Loud howling sometimes sounds as if a human is crying for help or moaning.
Two months after she gives birth, the mother takes her cubs with her for hunt.
Food
They will gladly eat an antelope, if they manage to catch it, but also gazelle, mice and other mammals of all sizes, frogs, reptiles, fruit... They would also feed on carcases, dead fish, mollusk and similar food that is not interesting to other carnivores. Time after time, they will follow bigger predators in order to feed from the remains of their prey.
Habitat
Savannahs are the home to these canids. All of the jackal species live in Africa, some in Asia, and they populate Europe too.
Golden Jackal lives in Africa, parts of Europe and Asia. Side-striped and Black-backed Jackal live in Africa, south of Sahara desert.