Difference between revisions of "Jackal" - New World Encyclopedia

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* In [[Nonviolent Communication]], "jackal language" refers to communication that labels, judges, and criticizes.
 
* In [[Nonviolent Communication]], "jackal language" refers to communication that labels, judges, and criticizes.
 
[[Image:Zebra and Jackal .jpg|left|[[Zebra]] and jackal in [[Ngorongoro Crater]], [[Tanzania]]|200px|thumb]]
 
[[Image:Zebra and Jackal .jpg|left|[[Zebra]] and jackal in [[Ngorongoro Crater]], [[Tanzania]]|200px|thumb]]
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==Golden Jackal==
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The '''Golden Jackal''' (''Canis aureus''), also called the '''Asiatic''', '''Oriental''' or '''Common Jackal''' is a [[carnivora|carnivorous]] [[mammal]] of the [[biological family|family]] [[Canidae]] native to north and east [[Africa]], southeastern [[Europe]] and [[South Asia]] to [[Burma]]. It is the largest of the [[jackal]]s, and the only species to occur outside Africa, with 13 different subspecies being recognised.<ref name=MSW3/> Although often grouped with the other jackals (the [[Black-backed Jackal]], and the [[Side-striped Jackal]]), genetic research indicates that the Golden Jackal is not closely related to them, but is within a "wolf" group which also includes the [[Gray Wolf]] (and the [[Domestic Dog]]) and the [[Coyote]].<ref>Lindblad-Toh ''et al.'' 2005. [http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v438/n7069/pdf/nature04338.pdf Genome sequence, comparative analysis and haplotype structure of the domestic dog.] Nature '''438''': 803-819.</ref> The genetic evidence is consistent with the form of the skull, which also bears more similarities to those of the Coyote and the Gray Wolf than to those of the other jackal species.<ref name="GJ" />
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[[Image:Golden jackal 2.jpg|thumb|left|200px|A darker color variant of the Golden Jackal. Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania]]
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The Golden Jackal's short, coarse fur is usually yellow to pale gold and brown-tipped, though the color can vary with season and region. On the [[Serengeti]] Plain in Northern [[Tanzania]] for example, the Golden Jackal's fur is brown-grizzled yellow in the wet season (December-January), changing to pale gold in the dry season (September-October).<ref name="CWC">{{cite web | title = Canis aureus | work =  | publisher = Animal Diversity Web | url = http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Canis_aureus.html | accessdate = 2007-07-31}}</ref> Jackals living in mountainous regions may have a greyer shade of fur.<ref name="GJ">{{cite web | title = Golden Jackal | work =  | publisher = Canids.org | url = http://www.canids.org/species/Golden_jackal.pdf | accessdate = 2007-08-15}}</ref>
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The Golden Jackal is generally 70–105 [[centimetre]]s (28–42 [[inch]]es) in length, with a tail length of about 25 centimetres (10 in). Its standing height is approximately 38–50 cm (16–20 in) at the shoulder. Average weight is 7–15 [[kilogram]]s (15–33 [[pound (mass)|pounds]]) with males tending to be 15% heavier than the females.<ref name="CWC" /><ref name="LC">{{cite web | title = Golden Jackal | work =  | publisher = Lioncrusher's Domain | url = http://www.lioncrusher.com/animal.asp?animal=22 | accessdate = 2007-07-31}}</ref>
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[[Scent gland]]s are present on the face and the anus and genital regions. Females have 4-8 [[mammae]].<ref name="LC" /> The dental formula is I 3/3 C 1/1 Pm 4/4 M 2/3 = 42.<ref name="GJ" />
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In all their ranges, the Golden Jackal displays a great deal of diversity in appearance. Jackals living in north Africa tend to be larger and have longer [[carnassials]] than those living in the [[Middle East]].<ref name="CLAW">{{cite book | author= Macdonald, David | title=The Velvet Claw | year=1992 | pages= 256 | id= ISBN 0563208449 }}</ref> Moroccan Golden Jackals are paler and have more pointed snouts than Egyptian Golden Jackals.<ref name="HAOAC">{{cite book | author=  | title= Hutchinson's animals of all countries; the living animals of the world in picture and story | year=1923 | pages= 384 | id= }}</ref>
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==Cultural perceptions==
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[[Image:Anubis.jpg|thumb|Anubis, the jackal headed god of the dead.]]
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The Egyptian god of embalming, [[Anubis]], was portrayed as a jackal-headed man, or as a jackal wearing ribbons and holding a flagellum, a symbol of protection, in the crook of its arm. Anubis was always shown as a black jackal or dog, even though real jackals are typically tan or a light brown. To the Egyptians, black was the color of regeneration, death, and the night. It was also the color that the body turned during mummification. The reason for Anubis' animal model being canine is based on what the ancient Egyptians themselves observed of the creature - dogs and jackals often haunted the edges of the desert, especially near the cemeteries where the dead were buried. In fact, it is thought that the Egyptians began the practice of making elaborate graves and tombs to protect the dead from desecration by jackals.
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The Greeks god [[Hermes]] and the monster [[Cerberus]] are thought to derive their origins from the golden jackal.<ref name="GJ" />
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The jackal is mentioned frequently in the [[Bible]], where it is portrayed as a sinister creature, most notably in [[Psalm]] 63:9-11 where it is stated that non-believers would become food for the jackals. In his book ''Running with the Fox'', [[David W. Macdonald]] theorizes that due to the general scarcity and elusiveness of foxes in Israel, the author of the [[Book of Judges]] may have actually been describing the much more common golden jackals when narrating how [[Samson]] tied torches to the tails of 300 foxes to make them destroy the vineyards of the [[Philistines]].
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==Side-striped jackal==
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The '''Side-striped jackal''' (''Canis adustus'') is a member of the family [[Canidae]], native to [[central Africa|central]] and [[southern Africa]].<ref name=msw3/><ref name=iucn/>
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The 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. The Side-striped Jackal can weigh from 14 to 30 lb. Males tend to be larger than the females. It is social within small family groups, communciating via yips, "screams" and a soft owl like hooting call. It is [[nocturnal]], and rarely active during the day.
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The Side-striped Jackal lives in the damp woodland areas along with grassland, bush and marshes. The Side-striped Jackal eats fruit, insects, and small mammals such as [[rat]]s, [[hare]]s and [[bird]]s. It will go for the young of animals such as [[warthog]]s and [[gazelle]]s. It will often follow [[big cat]]s to scavenge their kills, but has never been observed taking down larger prey on its own.
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The breeding season for this species depends on where they live; in southern Africa breeding starts in June and ends in November. The Side-striped Jackal has a gestation period of 57 to 70 days with average litter of 3 to 6 young. The young reach sexual maturity at 6 to 8 months old and typically begin to leave when 11 months old. The Side-striped Jackal is among the few mammal species that mate for life, forming [[monogamous]] pairs.
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==References==
 
==References==
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Revision as of 12:29, 29 October 2008

This article is about the animal. For other meanings, see jackal (disambiguation).
Jackal
A black-backed jackal in Masaai Mara
A black-backed jackal in Masaai Mara
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Genus: Canis
in part
File:Jackals.png
Species

Canis aureus Canis adustus Canis mesomelas

A jackal (from Turkish çakal, via Persian shaghal ultimately from Sanskrit sṛgālaḥ [1][2]) is a member of any of three (sometimes four) small to medium-sized species of the family Canidae, found in Africa, Asia and southeastern Europe.[3] Jackals fill a similar ecological niche to the coyote in North America, that of predators of small to medium-sized animals, scavengers, and omnivores. Their long legs and curved canine teeth are adapted for hunting small mammals, birds and reptiles. Big feet and fused leg bones give them a long-distance runner's physique, capable of maintaining speeds of 16km/h (10mph) (just over 6 min/mile) for extended periods of time. They are nocturnal, most active at dawn and dusk.

In jackal society the social unit is that of a monogamous pair which defends its territory from other pairs. These territories are defended by vigorously chasing intruding rivals and marking landmarks around the territory with urine and feces. The territory may be large enough to hold some young adults who stay with their parents until they establish their own territory. Jackals may occasionally assemble in small packs, for example to scavenge a carcass, but normally hunt alone or as a pair.

Use in slang

A golden jackal

All species of jackal are capable predators (all three hunt rodents and small mammals regularly, with the golden and black-backed species known to hunt poisonous snakes, large ground birds such as bustards, and mammals as large as young antelope). However, their popular image as scavengers has resulted in a negative public image.

  • The expression "jackalling" is sometimes used to describe the work done by a subordinate in order to save the time of a superior. (For example, a junior lawyer may peruse large quantities of material on behalf of a barrister.) This came from the tradition that the jackal will sometimes lead a lion to its prey. In other languages, the same word is sometimes used to describe the behavior of persons who try to scavenge scraps from the misfortunes of others; for example, by looting a village from which its inhabitants have fled because of a disaster.
  • In Nonviolent Communication, "jackal language" refers to communication that labels, judges, and criticizes.
Zebra and jackal in Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

Golden Jackal

The Golden Jackal (Canis aureus), also called the Asiatic, Oriental or Common Jackal is a carnivorous mammal of the family Canidae native to north and east Africa, southeastern Europe and South Asia to Burma. It is the largest of the jackals, and the only species to occur outside Africa, with 13 different subspecies being recognised.[4] Although often grouped with the other jackals (the Black-backed Jackal, and the Side-striped Jackal), genetic research indicates that the Golden Jackal is not closely related to them, but is within a "wolf" group which also includes the Gray Wolf (and the Domestic Dog) and the Coyote.[5] The genetic evidence is consistent with the form of the skull, which also bears more similarities to those of the Coyote and the Gray Wolf than to those of the other jackal species.[6]

A darker color variant of the Golden Jackal. Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

The Golden Jackal's short, coarse fur is usually yellow to pale gold and brown-tipped, though the color can vary with season and region. On the Serengeti Plain in Northern Tanzania for example, the Golden Jackal's fur is brown-grizzled yellow in the wet season (December-January), changing to pale gold in the dry season (September-October).[7] Jackals living in mountainous regions may have a greyer shade of fur.[6]

The Golden Jackal is generally 70–105 centimetres (28–42 inches) in length, with a tail length of about 25 centimetres (10 in). Its standing height is approximately 38–50 cm (16–20 in) at the shoulder. Average weight is 7–15 kilograms (15–33 pounds) with males tending to be 15% heavier than the females.[7][8] Scent glands are present on the face and the anus and genital regions. Females have 4-8 mammae.[8] The dental formula is I 3/3 C 1/1 Pm 4/4 M 2/3 = 42.[6]

In all their ranges, the Golden Jackal displays a great deal of diversity in appearance. Jackals living in north Africa tend to be larger and have longer carnassials than those living in the Middle East.[9] Moroccan Golden Jackals are paler and have more pointed snouts than Egyptian Golden Jackals.[10]

Cultural perceptions

Anubis, the jackal headed god of the dead.

The Egyptian god of embalming, Anubis, was portrayed as a jackal-headed man, or as a jackal wearing ribbons and holding a flagellum, a symbol of protection, in the crook of its arm. Anubis was always shown as a black jackal or dog, even though real jackals are typically tan or a light brown. To the Egyptians, black was the color of regeneration, death, and the night. It was also the color that the body turned during mummification. The reason for Anubis' animal model being canine is based on what the ancient Egyptians themselves observed of the creature - dogs and jackals often haunted the edges of the desert, especially near the cemeteries where the dead were buried. In fact, it is thought that the Egyptians began the practice of making elaborate graves and tombs to protect the dead from desecration by jackals.

The Greeks god Hermes and the monster Cerberus are thought to derive their origins from the golden jackal.[6]

The jackal is mentioned frequently in the Bible, where it is portrayed as a sinister creature, most notably in Psalm 63:9-11 where it is stated that non-believers would become food for the jackals. In his book Running with the Fox, David W. Macdonald theorizes that due to the general scarcity and elusiveness of foxes in Israel, the author of the Book of Judges may have actually been describing the much more common golden jackals when narrating how Samson tied torches to the tails of 300 foxes to make them destroy the vineyards of the Philistines.

Side-striped jackal

The Side-striped jackal (Canis adustus) is a member of the family Canidae, native to central and southern Africa.[11][12]

The 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. The Side-striped Jackal can weigh from 14 to 30 lb. Males tend to be larger than the females. It is social within small family groups, communciating via yips, "screams" and a soft owl like hooting call. It is nocturnal, and rarely active during the day.

The Side-striped Jackal lives in the damp woodland areas along with grassland, bush and marshes. The Side-striped Jackal eats fruit, insects, and small mammals such as rats, hares and birds. It will go for the young of animals such as warthogs and gazelles. It will often follow big cats to scavenge their kills, but has never been observed taking down larger prey on its own.

The breeding season for this species depends on where they live; in southern Africa breeding starts in June and ends in November. The Side-striped Jackal has a gestation period of 57 to 70 days with average litter of 3 to 6 young. The young reach sexual maturity at 6 to 8 months old and typically begin to leave when 11 months old. The Side-striped Jackal is among the few mammal species that mate for life, forming monogamous pairs.


References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • The New Encyclopedia of Mammals edited by David Macdonald, Oxford University Press, 2001; ISBN 0-19-850823-9
  • Cry of the Kalahari, by Mark and Delia Owens, Mariner Books, 1992.
  • The Velvet Claw: A Natural History of the Carnivores, by David MacDonald, BBC Books, 1992.
  • Foxes, Wolves, and Wild Dogs of the World, by David Alderton, Facts on File, 2004.

See also

  • Bardi - shapechanging spirit in Trebizond folklore (feminine jackal)
  • Anubis - Egyptian god with the head of a jackal

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ American Heritage Dictionary - Jackal entry
  2. ↑ Online Etymology Dictionary - Jackal entry
  3. ↑ Ivory, A. 1999. "Canis aureus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed January 18, 2007 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Canis_aureus.html.
  4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named MSW3
  5. ↑ Lindblad-Toh et al. 2005. Genome sequence, comparative analysis and haplotype structure of the domestic dog. Nature 438: 803-819.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Golden Jackal. Canids.org. Retrieved 2007-08-15.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Canis aureus. Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 2007-07-31.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Golden Jackal. Lioncrusher's Domain. Retrieved 2007-07-31.
  9. ↑ Macdonald, David (1992). The Velvet Claw, 256. ISBN 0563208449. 
  10. ↑ (1923) Hutchinson's animals of all countries; the living animals of the world in picture and story, 384. 
  11. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named msw3
  12. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named iucn

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