Side-striped jackal
Striped Jackal (Canis adustus )
The striped Jackal (Canis adustus ) is a wild dog of the genus Canis, which can be found in many areas of Africa.
Features
The striped Jackal is a medium sized hunting dog with a shoulder height of about 45 centimeters, a body length of about 65 centimeters and a weight of usually eight to twelve pounds. Males and females are virtually the same size, but the males weigh on average slightly more than the females. The coat, with brownish -gray ground color, has on the flanks of a more or less pronounced oblique, bright stripes.
Distribution and habitat
Spread the striped Jackal is exclusively in sub-Saharan Africa. He comes from the West African coast in Guinea and Senegal over central Africa to Sudan and Ethiopia in East Africa and from there south before to Namibia, Botswana and South Africa. In the northeastern part overlaps the area with the area of distribution of the gold jackal, to the east and south by the pelmet jackal.
The striped Jackal lives in numerous, very different habitats. He avoids the open savannah and dry desert areas and adheres to most woody plants in rich, but not rich in wooded areas on. The preferred areas include not only forest areas mainly bush and grassland and agricultural areas and wetlands; also in the immediate vicinity of human dwellings and places it occurs. In East Africa it is found in mountainous regions at altitudes of about 2700 m.
Occur in areas where next to the striped Jackal other species such as the black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas ) or the golden jackal (Canis aureus), the existing habitats between species are divided. To use the striped Jackal in these areas are mainly the habitats with denser vegetation. In western Zimbabwe, there was aggressive confrontations in which the jackal supplanted the striped Jackal of the grassland areas.
Way of life
The strips jackals go a couple relationships that exist until the death of a partner. Each pair defends its territory against conspecifics. The animals are nocturnal and do not go in pairs, but individually on hunting. Per night they lay on average travels a distance 15 to 20 kilometers.
The food of animals consists largely of vegetable matter and not flesh. Although the striped Jackal also eats meat, but not predominantly. Four crop species eats the jackal particularly common: the Mobola Plum ( Parinari curatellifolia ), the chocolate berry ( Vitex payos ), the Natal Fig ( Ficus natalensis ) and the water berry ( Syzigium guineense ). Nevertheless, the jackals to the killing of small mammals up to the size of a hare, very clever. Even insects are eaten. A small portion of the jackals are scavengers.
The pairings will find usually in the months of July to September so in the southern early spring instead. After a gestation period of similar length takes approximately two months as the house dog, the female gives birth to a litter of usually four to six puppies in a Erdferkelbau to the world. Both parents take care of the boys, and look after them at least eleven months. Strip jackals can be up to twelve years old.
Evolution and systematics
African Wild Dog ( Lycaon pictus)
Dhole ( Cuon alpinus )
Ethiopian Wolf (C. simensis )
Golden jackal (C. aureus)
Koyote (C. latrans )
Wolf (C. lupus)
Domestic dog ( C. lupus familiaris)
Black-backed jackal (C. mesomelas )
Striped Jackal (C. adustus )
The striped Jackal of the genus of wolf and jackal -like (Canis ) is assigned, which includes a total of eight species. In addition to other species known as the jackals, it primarily covers the dogs of wolf type. The first scientific description in 1847 by the Swedish naturalist Karl Jakob Sundevall. He described this method directly as Canis adustus and arranged them accordingly in the genus Canis.
As part of the presentation of the genome sequence of the domestic dog was of Lindblad - Toh et al. 2005 Phylogenetic analysis of the dogs ( Canidae ) published. Under this representation, the monophyly of the genus Canis has been questioned on the basis of molecular data. Accordingly represent the striped Jackal and the jackal sister species, the species as basalste all other members of the genus, and in addition the Dhole ( Cuon alpinus ) and the African Wild Dog ( Lycaon pictus) are compared. These two types should be included according to the genus Canis, so that they as a monophyletic genus endures.
Within the species, six subspecies are distinguished according to Wilson & Reeder, 2005.
Threat and protection
The species is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN ) due to the population size and the large distribution area as not at risk ( least concern ). Within their areas of distribution of the black-backed jackal is relatively common. Estimates of population size start from about three million animals, the population is estimated to be stable. The Jackal is very adaptable and capable of living, even in the field of human settlements, a threat to the species is accepted only in case of extreme habitat alteration or spread of disease.