The Opened Way - Coyote's Kin

Three species of jackal reside in Africa and southeast Asia: the black-backed jackal Canis mesomelas), the golden jackal (Canis aureus), and the side-striped jackal (Canis adustus). Of these, the golden has the most widespread range, and is the only species found in Egypt today. The Ethopian wolf (Canis simensis) is also known as the Ethiopian, red, or simien jackal, but its behaviour suggests that it is indeed closer to the wolf way of life.

Jackals are considered, in some areas, to be a trickster-spirit not unlike Coyote.

Golden Jackal (Canis Aureus)

The golden jackal, found in northern and eastern Africa, southern Asia, and even parts of extreme southereastern Europe, has short, coarse fur that generally appears golden-brown or a tipped pattern of brown and yellow. The dorsal area is black, though not so prominently as in Canis mesomelas, and some portions of the head, ears, and sides may take on a reddish coloration; while the underside tends to pale ginger or white. The tip of the tail is black. The size ranges in length from just under two feet to roughly a yard (sixty to one-hundred sixty centimetres), with another seven to twelve inches (twenty to thirty centimetres) in the tail, and they may stand fourteen to twenty-three inches (thirty-eight to fifty centimetres) tall. Weight is generally between fifteen and thirty-three pounds (seven to fifteen kilograms). Sexual dimorphism accounts for most of the variation in size, with males being up to fifteen percent larger than females.

Like most wild canines, golden jackals are territorial. Most packs, being comprised of only a few individuals, require from one-third of mile to a mile and a half of space (one-half to one and a half kilometres). Their preferred territory consists of desert or scrub terrain featuring grass, brush, and the occasional tree, and altitudes of up to one mile (two-thousand kilometres). Where they are forced to share territory with humans, they are active only at night, but elsewhere may be on the move both at night and during the day. Wherever they live, their territory is marked by males and females alike, normally with urine. Scent glands present in the urogenital area add information about the individual who left a particular mark - age, sex, reproductive status, and general health. Vocal communication often comes in the form of a howl, much as that emitted by wolves and coyotes.

Golden jackals normally 'pack up' in mated, monogamous pairs with five or six pups (though litters can range in size from only one to even ten). As with C. mesomelas, the pups of a previous litter may remain with their parents through another whelping season to act as helpers, contributing to the rearing of newer pups. This increases the chances that the newest litter will survive, though again, the effect is not so pronounced as in C. mesomelas. Mating season in the golden jackal spans late summer to early autumn in Africa, autumn to mid-winter in the Middle East, and late winter to early spring in Europe and the former Soviet Union. Gestation is roughly sixty-three days, with the pups being nursed for eight to ten weeks and becoming fully weaned at four months or so. By six months, their rank within the pack will have been established, and they will have begun accompanying their parents on hunting trips, or wandering off on their own. Sexual maturity - the point at which reproduction can occur - has its onset at eleven months in the female and up to two years in the male, and they may live from thirteen years in the wild to sixteen years in captivity.

While jackals are most often thought of as being scavengers, feeding strictly on carrion, this is untrue. Carrion does compose a significant portion of their diet, but they also hunt from time to time, with their chances of success being increased by cooperative hunting in conjunction with a mate. They are omnivorous, and in addition to mammals and birds, may add insects, reptiles and amphibians, and even fruit to their diets. They have been known to wait for larger carnivores to finish a meal in order to claim their share, and leftovers may be buried for later consumption. They may also, when living near human settlements, survive by eating garbage. When pups begin to eat solid food, their first meals consist of a soft mush regurgitated by their parents and older siblings.

Golden jackals are not considered threatened, though exact population counts are unknown. While humans pose no real problem, they are in competition with both active predators (big cats) and other opportunistic feeders looking to benefit from the kills of others (such as hyenas). They have no commercial uses.