Side-striped Jackal

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Side-striped jackal Conservation status: Least concern
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Canidae Genus: Canis Species: C. adustus
Binomial name
Canis adustus Sundevall, 1847

The Side-striped jackal (Canis adustus) is a member of the family Canidae, native to central and Southern Africa.

[edit] Description

Side-striped jackal is a greyish brown to tan with a white stripe from the front legs to the hips and has a dark tail that has a white tip. Side-striped jackal can weigh from 14 to 30 lb. Males tend to be larger than the females.

[edit] Habitat and diet

Side-striped jackals live in the woodland areas along with grassland, bush and marshes. Side-striped jackals eat fruit, insects, small mammals such as rats, hares and birds. They will often follow big cats to scavenge their kills.

[edit] Reproduction

Breeding season depends on where they live, in Southern African breeding starts in June and ends in November. Side-striped jackals have a gestation period of 57 to 70 days with average litter of 3 to 6 young. They reach sexual maturity at 6 to 8 months old and typically begin to leave when 11 months old.

[edit] References

• Atkinson & Loveridge (2004). Canis adustus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern