Golden jackal

The golden jackal (Canis aureus), also called the common jackal, is a wolf-like canid that lives in Eurasia. It has a coat that changes color with the seasons, turning a pale creamy yellow in summer and darker tawny beige in winter. It is smaller than wolves, with shorter legs and a longer body.

Even though its name sounds like it might be related to African jackals, the golden jackal is actually more closely related to wolves and coyotes. Scientists think its ancestors lived in southern Europe millions of years ago. Today, golden jackals are found across much of Eurasia, from India to Europe.

Golden jackals are very adaptable and can live in many places, such as valleys, riverbanks, and near lakes and seashores. They eat many things, including fruit, insects, and small animals. Sometimes they might go after farm animals. These animals live in social groups, usually a pair and their young, and they are moving into new areas of Europe.

Etymology and naming

The word 'jackal' began being used in English around 1600. It comes from a Turkish word, çakal, which itself came from an older Persian word, šagāl. This animal is also often called the common jackal.

Taxonomy

The family Canidae includes many animals like the South American canids, the fox-like canids, and the wolf-like canids. All wolf-like canids look similar and have 78 chromosomes, meaning they can sometimes have babies together. The jackal group is part of the wolf-like canids and includes three types: the black-backed jackal, the side-striped jackal, and the golden jackal (Canis aureus). These three look very much alike and mostly differ in the color of their fur. They were once thought to live in different parts of Africa but we now know they share some areas, especially in East Africa.

Scientists study tiny parts inside cells called mitochondrial DNA to learn about family history. This helps them understand how animals are related. Studies show that the gray wolf and dogs are the closest relatives of the golden jackal, followed by the coyote and the Ethiopian wolf. The golden jackal comes from a line that split from wolves and coyotes about 1.9 million years ago.

Evolution

An old, extinct dog-like animal called the Arno river dog may have been the ancestor of today’s jackals. The oldest golden jackal fossil, a single tooth, was found near Beirut, Lebanon, and is about 7,600 years old. Other old fossils have been found in Greece. These fossils show that golden jackals have been around for a very long time.

Admixture with other Canis species

Golden jackals sometimes have babies with other animals like gray wolves and dogs. These mixes can look just like wolves or dogs but have a bit of jackal in them.

Subspecies and populations

The golden jackal was given its scientific name by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Since then, scientists have described 13 different types or subspecies of golden jackal.

Subspecies of Canis aureus

Subspecies	Trinomial authority	Trinomial authority (year)	Description	Distribution	Synonyms
Persian jackal C. a. aureus Nominate subspecies	Linnaeus	1758	Large, with soft, pale fur with predominantly sandy tones. The general color of the outer fur is usually black and white, while the underfur varies from pale brown to pale slate-grey. Occasionally, the nape and shoulders are of a buff color. The ears and front legs are buff, sometimes tan, while the feet are pale. The hind legs are more deeply tinted above the hocks. The chin and forethroat are usually whitish. Weight varies geographically, ranging around 8–10 kg (18–22 lb). In areas where it borders the range of the larger, more richly colored Indian jackal (particularly the area of Kumaun in India), animals of intermediate size and color sometimes appear.	Middle East, Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Western India where its distribution overlaps with the Indian jackal to the north and the Sri Lankan/South Indian jackal to the south.	hadramauticus (Noack, 1896) kola (Wroughton, 1916) lanka (Wroughton, 1916) typicus (Kolenati, 1858) vulgaris (Wagner, 1841)
Indochinese jackal C. a. cruesemanni	Matschie	1900	The Indochinese jackal (also known as the Siamese jackal and the Southeast Asian golden jackal) has been disputed as a separate subspecies by some authors who state that its classification is based solely on observations of captive animals. In 2023, an mDNA study indicated that it was an early branching lineage of golden jackal which supports it being a subspecies. It is smaller than C. a. indicus, weighing up to 8 kg (18 lb). Its fur closely resembles that of a dog. It inhabits mountainous areas, near farms or residential forests, and its prey include small animals like birds, reptiles and frogs, besides occasionally eating fruits. One seller of two trapped jackals claimed that they killed ten piglets on his farm. It can be active in both day and night. Siamese jackals are solitary creatures, but a male and female will cooperate during mating season. It has few natural predators, though dholes are a major source of mortality.	Thailand
Indian jackal C. a. indicus	Hodgson	1833	Its fur is a mixture of black and white, with buff on the shoulders, ears and legs. The buff color is more pronounced in specimens from high altitudes. Black hairs predominate on the middle of the back and tail. The belly, chest and the sides of the legs are creamy white, while the face and lower flanks are grizzled with gray fur. Adults grow to a length of 100 cm (39 in), 35–45 cm (14–18 in) in height and 8–11 kg (18–24 lb) in weight.	India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan
European jackal C. a. moreoticus	I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire	1835	The largest golden jackal subspecies, animals of both sexes average 120–125 cm (47–49 in) in total length and 10–15 kg (22–33 lb) in body weight. The fur is coarse, and is generally brightly colored with blackish tones on the back. The thighs, upper legs, ears and forehead are bright-reddish chestnut.	Southeastern Europe, Moldova, Asia Minor and the Caucasus	graecus (Wagner, 1841) balcanicus (Brusina, 1892) caucasica (Kolenati, 1858) dalmatinus (Wagner, 1841)
Sri Lankan jackal C. a. naria	Wroughton	1916	Measures 67–74 cm (26–29 in) in length and weighs 5–8.6 kg (11–19 lb). The winter coat is shorter, smoother and not as shaggy as that of indicus. The coat is also darker on the back, being black and speckled with white. The underside is more pigmented on the chin, hind throat, chest and forebelly, while the limbs are rusty ochreous or a rich tan. Molting occurs earlier in the season than with indicus, and the pelt generally does not lighten in color.	Coastal South West India, Sri Lanka	lanka (Wroughton, 1838)
Syrian jackal C. a. syriacus	Hemprich and Ehrenberg	1833	Distinguished by its brown ears. The body fur is a yellow on the back, lighter on the sides, and whitish-yellow underneath. A dark band runs from the nose to the end of the tail. Measures 60–90 cm (24–35 in) in body length, 20–30 cm (7.9–11.8 in) in tail length, 15–18 cm (5.9–7.1 in) in head length, and weighs 5–12 kg (11–26 lb).	Israel, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan

Description

The golden jackal looks like a small wolf but is lighter and smaller. It has a longer body, shorter legs and tail, and a narrow, pointy face. Males are a little bigger than females. Males measure about 71–85 cm long and weigh 6–14 kg, while females measure 69–73 cm and weigh 7–11 kg. Both have a shoulder height of 45–50 cm. In comparison, the smallest wolf, the Arabian wolf, is much heavier, weighing around 20 kg.

The golden jackal's skull looks most like a dingo. It is smaller and weaker than a wolf's skull. Its teeth are large but thinner, and it has weaker chewing teeth. This helps the jackal eat small birds, rodents, insects, dead animals, fruit, and plants. The fur changes color with the seasons, from pale yellow in summer to darker brown in winter. The back may look darker, and the belly is lighter. The tail is bushy with a tan to black tip. Some jackals have dark fur due to a natural change. The golden jackal sheds its fur twice a year, once in spring and once in autumn.

Ecology

The golden jackal lives in Europe and parts of Asia. It can eat many different foods, which helps it survive in many places. Jackals can travel long distances to find food and can live without water for a long time. They are common in valleys, near rivers, and around lakes, but are not often found in dry, desert areas.

Jackals eat both animals and plants. In some places, they eat mostly small animals like rodents and birds, while in other places, they eat more plants like fruits and berries. They also sometimes eat food left behind by larger animals like lions and tigers.

Jackals share their homes with other animals, such as foxes and wolves. Wolves are stronger and often chase jackals away. Jackals are larger than foxes and usually stay away from them. Sometimes, jackals can help reduce the number of other animals that might be harmful.

Some jackals can carry germs that might make people sick, such as those that cause diseases like rabies.

Behavior

Golden jackals live in family groups. A family usually has a breeding pair and sometimes their pups. In India, families can have one to five jackals. They mark their areas with scent to protect their home. Jackals can travel far at night looking for food or better places to live. Their home areas can be from 1–20 km² (0.39–7.72 mi²), depending on food.

Jackals greet each other, clean, and howl together. Howling is common when pairs are forming and breeding, between December and April. Howling helps keep their group safe. Adults howl while standing, and younger jackals howl while sitting. They usually howl at dawn, in the evening, and sometimes during the day. Jackals may also howl when they hear loud sounds like church bells. When the weather changes, they may howl for a long time. They make a warning call when they sense big animals like wolves or tigers nearby.

Conservation

The golden jackal is considered safe because it lives in many places with plenty of food and shelter. In Europe, golden jackals are not always protected by special rules, but some rules help protect wildlife where they live. Some countries think golden jackals are not a normal part of their wildlife.

There are about 70,000 golden jackals in Europe. Some countries protect them fully, while others allow hunting. In Syria, jackal numbers went down because of efforts against a sickness. In India, there are over 80,000 golden jackals, and laws protect them from trading their fur and tails.

Relationships with humans

In folklore, mythology and literature

Golden jackals appear in Indian folklore and in two old texts, the Jakatas and the Panchatantra. They are shown as clever and tricky creatures. The old Hindu text, the Mahabharata, tells a story about a smart jackal who turns its friends against each other so it can eat a gazelle alone. The Panchatantra has a tale of a jackal outsmarting a wolf and a lion. In Buddhist stories, jackals are seen as clever, much like foxes in European tales. For someone traveling early in the morning, hearing a jackal howl was thought to be a good sign.

In Hinduism, jackals are linked to several gods and goddesses. They are often shown as the animal companion of Chamunda, a strong goddess. Another goddess, Kali, is also connected to jackals. The goddess Shivaduti is shown with a jackal’s head, and Durga is sometimes linked to them too. In Rudyard Kipling’s Mowgli stories from The Jungle Book, the character Tabaqui is a jackal that the wolf pack does not like.

Attacks on humans

In the Marwahi forest in Chhattisgarh, India, there were no reports of jackal attacks on people before 1997. Between 1998 and 2005, there were reports of jackal attacks, though none were serious. Most of these attacks happened in villages. Jackals make their homes in rocky hills, but these areas have been taken over by farms and homes. This has pushed jackals into places where people live. People in these areas often chase jackals away, which can make the jackals act more aggressively. Female jackals with babies were more likely to attack than lone males. During the same time, there were more attacks by sloth bears, but still, no attacks in Europe.

Livestock, game, and crop predation

Golden jackals can be a problem for farm animals like turkeys, lambs, sheep, goats, and young domestic water buffalo calves. They also hunt young animals such as roe deer, hares, coypu, pheasants, francolins, grey partridges, bustards, and waterfowl. Jackals damage crops like grapes, coffee, maize, and sugarcane. In Greece, jackals are less harmful to farm animals than wolves and foxes.

Hunting

During British rule in India, people hunted golden jackals from horseback using dogs. They were not as beautiful as English red foxes but were valued for how long they could run. India’s weather and land made hunting harder than in England. Jackals were hunted in three ways: with greyhounds, with foxhounds, and with mixed groups of dogs.

Some local people in India hunt and eat golden jackals, but most cultures in South Asia think of them as unclean. In areas of the former Soviet Union, jackals are not often hunted and are usually caught by accident when hunting other animals.

Fur use

In Russia and other countries from the former Soviet Union, golden jackals are thought of as animals with low-quality fur. Jackal skins are used to make collars, women’s coats, and fur coats.

Sulimov dog

Long ago, golden jackals may have been tamed in Neolithic Turkey about 11,000 years ago. In 1924, the Russian military started the Red Star kennels to improve working dogs. They created “Laikoid” dogs by mixing Spitz-type Russian Laikas with German Shepherds. By the 1980s, Russia found that its bomb and drug-detection dogs were not good enough. Klim Sulimov, a scientist, began mixing dogs with their wild relatives to improve their ability to find smells. He chose jackals because he believed they were the wild ancestor of dogs, had better smell-finding abilities, and, being smaller and more enduring, could live outside in Russia’s climate. His program continues today, with the hybrid Sulimov dogs used at Sheremetyevo Airport near Moscow by the Russian airline Aeroflot.

The hybrid program has been questioned. There is not much scientific proof to back up the claims of hybrid researchers, and more study is needed.