How many species of jackal are there

They stand around 16 inches tall and weigh between 17 and 25 pounds. They survive around 9 years in the wild. Jackals are known as opportunistic omnivores. They mostly eat meat, but will take the opportunity to eat other things like vegetation or carrion when they come across it.

All jackals are omnivorous, meaning that their diet consists of both meat and plants. They are well adapted for hunting, thanks to their curved canine teeth, long legs, and incredible stamina. Being small animals, however, their meat options are limited to small mammals, reptiles, birds, and amphibians. They will also not miss out on a chance to scavenge on kills made by big predators.

In fact, they usually build up the courage to steal chunks of meat while lions are eating. Nonetheless, this is an extremely risky endeavor. When it comes to killing small prey, they usually do so by delivering a bite to the back of the neck and vigorously shaking the animal.

They will eat any fruits, insects, or edible vegetation they come across, as well. Unlike most animals on the planet, jackals are monogamous animals, mating for life. A male and female jackal live together for their entire lives. They can also form packs with their children. Jackal pairs are highly synchronized and work together to hunt and raise their pups. This is because working as a pair exponentially raises the chances of success during hunting or foraging.

If they are working as a pack, the better. Even though jackals are excellent hunters, their small stature prevents them from attacking larger prey animals. Nevertheless, they usually have a field day with newborns from gazelle or wildebeest. Working cooperatively, one will distract the mother as the other grabs the newborn and makes a break for it. Jackals are also extremely intelligent animals. As such, wherever there are lions, jackals are always in the vicinity.

There's the black-backed jackal; the golden, or common, jackal; and the side-striped jackal. All three species are about the size of domestic dogs. They grow to 27 to 33 inches 70 to 85 centimeters shoulder to rump, with a tail length of about 10 inches 25 cm. They stand about 16 inches 40 cm at the shoulder and weigh 11 to 26 lbs.

The distinguishing characteristics of each species are denoted in their common names, according to the ADW. The black-backed jackal has black hair running from the back of the neck to the tail. The rest of the body is reddish-brown or ginger and the chest is white. Side-striped jackals are light gray to tan with a white stripe from elbow to hip and black side stripes. The golden jackal's coat is usually yellow to pale gold and brown-tipped, but the color can vary with season and region.

The black-backed jackal stays mostly in savannas and woodlands. There are two discrete populations. The other is found along the eastern coastline, including Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia. The populations are separated by the Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania, an area with harsh terrain that is difficult to cross. The side-striped jackal likes it a little on the wetter side. By taking proactive steps, we are able to prevent both livestock and carnivore deaths.

AWF engages local communities to set aside land for wildlife to live undisturbed. In the Laikipia region of Kenya—which has no formal protected areas—we brought the Koija community together with a private operator to construct the Koija Starbeds Lodge. Koija Starbeds creates jobs and income for the community members. The revenue is also reinvested into the community and into conservation, and the land is protected for wildlife.

They usually live singly or in pairs but are occasionally found in loose packs of related individuals where their behavior is highly synchronized. They are among the few mammalian species in which the male and female mate for life. Mated pairs are territorial, and both the female and male mark and defend their territory. Litters average two to four pups. It takes about ten days for the infants' eyes to open, and for the first few weeks of life, they remain in the thickets or holes where they were born.

At about three weeks old, they begin to spend time outside playing with their littermates. At first, the games are clumsy attempts at wrestling, pawing, and biting.

As they become more coordinated, they ambush and pounce, play tug of war, and chase each other. The mother changes den sites about every two weeks, so the young are less likely to be found by predators. Jackal pups are suckled and fed regurgitated food until they are about two months old.