Canidae Central

SittingFox · Posted: Sun Jul 09, 2006 8:05 pm Post subject: Jackals

Some jackal pictures added to the mix Cool

There are three species of wild dogs called jackals, and they are a bit different from wolves and coyotes, but all part of the same sub-family ("genus"). But one thing - grey wolves are pretty much at the top of the social order, unless grizzlies are about, but these little guys have to put up with lions and tigers as neighbours...

Golden jackal (Canis aureus), of southern Europe, Africa and Asia (this one was in Tanzania):

Silver-backed Jackal (Canis mesomelas) of Africa:

And Side-striped Jackal (Canis adustus)...uh, sorry, that's one of the hardest creatures to see in Africa and I certainly didn't spot one, hence no picture... Laughing

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TheWhiteFox · Posted: Sun Jul 09, 2006 8:07 pm Post subject:

Thanks for posting those pictures Smile

I haven't seen the black striped jackal yet. Great pictures

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Sharrakor · Posted: Sun Jul 09, 2006 10:26 pm Post subject:

I never knew what a Jackal looks like. Thanks sittingfox.

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SheltiDefender · Posted: Sun Jul 09, 2006 10:42 pm Post subject:

Sharrakor wrote:

I never knew what a Jackal looks like. Thanks sittingfox.

Nor did i. Thanks for the pictures!

Sharrakor · Posted: Sun Jul 09, 2006 11:04 pm Post subject:

what's up with their tails? Is there a reason they are that long?

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SittingFox · Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2006 5:14 am Post subject:

Sharrakor wrote:

what's up with their tails? Is there a reason they are that long?

Not sure - coyotes have long tails too, come to think of it. I expect that they use them to communicate like foxes and wolves do. Though red wolves have very short tails...

This is another silver-backed jackal in the midst of a melee on a carcass. It's to the left of the first picture, surrounded by vultures, and then it grabbed a slice and ran off.

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TheWhiteFox · Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2006 9:32 pm Post subject:

Great pictures, lucky Jackal Smile

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Wisefox · Wiseheart Joined: 13 Jun 2006 Posts: 917 Location: Canada

Are there many different types of jackals?

Wisefox

Fang · Team Dog Joined: 21 May 2006 Posts: 650 Location: England

I'd expect so.

Great pictures, that golden jackal with a black stripe kinda looks like a deer.

SilverFox · Host of Wild Adventures Joined: 26 Aug 2006 Posts: 498

Thanks for posting I love the pictures.

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SittingFox · Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2006 3:23 pm Post subject:

Wisefox wrote:

Are there many different types of jackals?

Wisefox

Hm...only just come back to this thread. There's three jackal species (see my first post). In total, there's seven surviving species universally accepted to be in the Canis genus:

- Golden Jackal Canis aureus
- Black-backed Jackal Canis mesomelas
- Side-striped Jackal Canis adustus
- Grey Wolf Canis lupus
- Red Wolf Canis lycaon (or Canis rufus)
- Ethiopian Wolf Canis simensis
- Coyote Canis latrans

And, perhaps,

- Dog / Dingo Canis familiaris (most people just lump this under grey wolf)

However genetic research suggests that there are at least two more wolf species. Both are found in India and until recently were thought just to be the grey wolf in a slightly different form. This is a very eventful field at the moment - there's quite probably other wolf species out there which haven't been properly identified yet.

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Wisefox · Wiseheart Joined: 13 Jun 2006 Posts: 917 Location: Canada

Out of all those genus of canis, witch ones are closer to the family dog?
Or are they all 'equely spaced' in the genus?

so there could be an wolf speices that hasn't been properly identified?
that would be cool to have another wolf speices.

SittingFox · Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2006 4:30 pm Post subject:

Dogs basically are domesticated grey wolves, hence are often known as Canis lupus familiaris.

1st name is the genus.
2nd name is the species.
3rd name is the subspecies.

Also, dingos are dogs that, in an early stage of domestication, got wild in Australia and a few other places.

Red wolves and coyotes are closer to each other than either is to grey wolves; I forget where Ethiopian wolves fit in, except that they're more like grey wolves than the jackal species. The two new potential species from India are pretty distinct from everything. Welcome to the confusing world of genetic analysis...

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Wisefox · Wiseheart Joined: 13 Jun 2006 Posts: 917 Location: Canada

ah.. I think I understand now.. I wasn't sure how they all "lumped" together.
so what about the different types of jackels? are they not relaited?..

- Golden Jackal Canis aureus
- Black-backed Jackal Canis mesomelas
- Side-striped Jackal Canis adustus

how would you say this.. are they related? or are they completly different?
(aka, non mixable breeds(didn't know how else to say it))

SittingFox · Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2006 9:37 pm Post subject:

I believe they're fairly closely related to each other but I cannot find the genetics chart just at the moment. Certainly all the wolf species are more closely related to each other than they are to jackals.

Humanity has a great history of mis-naming wildlife. Last week I saw a "black bear" which was blonde with brown legs. (Makes a change from the white black bears of Terrace, BC or the blue black bears of Alaska, I suppose...) I mean that names aren't necessary that useful as indicators Rolling Eyes

but at least the three canids called jackals share a fair number of characteristics, behavioural and physical.

No doubt the taxonomy of canids will be revised again in the future. And for the best headache of all,

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EDIT: I should say that their inference that the eastern wolf population is increasing is highly controversial. Genetic research is very important but their ideas of where a species beings and ends don't always match conservation biologists'. It's a violent battlefield Wink

Actually, Edit 2.

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