Perception Channels: tactile ; chemical
Occurs in numerous protected areas including the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, and the Kruger National Park and Giant's Castle Game Reserve, South Africa.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
In South Africa and elsewhere, the black-backed jackal carries the reputation of a killer of poultry and other domesticated livestock. They also prey on sheep, but primarily during lambing.
Humans have sold the pelts of the black-backed jackal. In South Africa, the jackal may be hunted throughout the year for its meat (Ginsberg 1990).
Black-backed jackals are like other social canids in their foraging (Colby 1965). They often hunt in packs to make it possible to bring down large prey. However, black-backed jackals have also been found to hunt alone or in mated pairs.
In a sample of 96 stomachs (Smithers 1983), insects occurred most frequently (52%); this was followed closely by ominivorous remains (37%); vegetable matter and "other" made up the rest (11%). Black-backed jackals are known to kill domesticated animals (dogs, young sheep, and poultry), but mainly feed on smaller mammals such as rodents, hares, and small antelopes. Many jackals have been observed scavenging the remains of a feline kill such as that of a lion or leopard before vultures pick everything clean.
Animal Foods: birds; mammals; reptiles; carrion ; insects; terrestrial non-insect arthropods
Plant Foods: seeds, grains, and nuts; fruit
Primary Diet: omnivore
The black-backed jackal can be found only in Africa. The species lives in two discrete areas separated by roughly 900km. One region includes the southern-most tip of the continent including South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. The other area is along the eastern coastline, including Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia (Smithers 1983). This separation may exist for geographical reasons. Between both populations lies Olduvai Gorge (part of the Great Rift Valley) in northern Tanzania. This landscape is extremely arid making living conditions for most organisms extremely difficult.
Biogeographic Regions: ethiopian (Native )
The habitat of the black-backed jackal is quite variable ranging from small cities and the suburbs of large cities to the Namib desert (Ginsberg 1990). They tend to be more common in dry areas that receive an annual rainfall of between 100-200 cm (Downs et al. 1991). These jackals are associated with open terrain and not forest or heavy brush. This species can scavenge in an area where bigger game is hunted and killed or it can feed off the remnants of human handouts. Furthermore, in the open grasslands of today, human development in the form of agriculture provides an additional source of food for this species.
Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; scrub forest
Average lifespan
Status: captivity: 14.0 years.
The main characteristic of the black-backed jackal, which gives it its name, is the black hair running from the back of the neck to the tail (Van Valkenburgh 1994). The chest is white, and the under parts are white to rusty-white, whereas the rest of the body ranges from reddish brown to ginger in appearance. Adults stand about 38cm at the shoulder and are nearly a meter long in length. The head is dog-like, with a pointed muzzle and high pointed ears.
The winter coat of male adults develops a reddish to an almost deep russet red color. Females tend to be less richly colored (Ginsberg 1990). Sexual dimorphism does exist; males tend to be larger than females, but this difference is small.
Range mass: 5 to 10 kg.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: male larger
Average basal metabolic rate: 21.533 W.
This species is one of the few mammals that has a long-term mate.
Mating System: monogamous
The female usually has her litter underground in a vacated but semi-elaborate antbear burrow allowing for multiple entrances and escape routes. Black-backed jackals less frequently use caves and rock crevices where typically only a single entrance exits. Mating occurs anytime between May and August. Gestation lasts approximately 60 days; litter size at birth averages around 4 pups, but commonly only 1-3 survive. A pup becomes sexually mature at 11 months and can live up to 14 years in captivity but at most 8 years in the wild. Male and female parents both take part in the rearing and feeding of young. The social unit usually consists of the two parents and their young. The only exception is when multiple jackals hunt in large packs. Pups usually follow the parents out of the den at 3 months and are on their own within a year (Smithers 1983).
Range number of offspring: 1 to 7.
Average number of offspring: 3.
Range gestation period: 60 to 65 days.
Range weaning age: 56 to 63 days.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; viviparous
Average birth mass: 159 g.
Average number of offspring: 4.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)
Sex: male: 251 days.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
Sex: female: 309 days.
Parental Investment: altricial ; post-independence association with parents; extended period of juvenile learning
