Jackals

There are several species of Jackal, all of whom have simialr habits. They are wiley and cunning medium sized canids, generally living in small family groups. They hunt small game and scavenge at the kills of larger carnivores such as hyeanas and lions. Some species will opportunistically take larger game, and the black-backed jackal Canis mesomelas is considered a serious predator of sheep. Jackals are found throughout Africa and Indochina.

• Canis mesomelas or black-backed jackals are found in southern and eastern Africa. It is considered the most agressive jackal, and will take prey many times its own size. Despite their name, their backs are more of a grizzled gray with a bounding black border stripe. They are typically found in areas with brush or open woodland.
• Canis aureus or golden jackals are found across northern Africa, Arabia, the eastern Medeteranean coast, the regions around the Black and Caspian Seas, central Asia, India, Burma, and Thailand. In Africa they are a grassland and savannah species, ranging to semi-desert and arid lands into the Sahara, Near East, and central Asia, and forests, agricultural areas, urban habitats, and mangroves in India, Burma, and Thailand. Golden jackals eat a considerable amount of fruit and nuts in addition to small game, and forage for human garbage or scaveneg at kills of other predators.
• Canis adustus or side-striped jackals live in central Africa and Africa's Sahel region. They tend to live in scrub and woodlands. they are omnivores, whose diet is composed of fruit and insects as well as small game and carrion.
• Canis simensis, Simien jackal, Abyssinian fox, or Ethiopian wolf are all names given to this species. It lives in the Ethiopian highlands and is highly endangered. It is closer in size to a coyote than other jackals. It eats almost entirely diurnal rodents, particularly mole rats. It lives in packs, but hunts individually.

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