Black-backed jackal
Ancient African canid, adaptable trickster in folklore.
It is listed on the IUCN Red List as least concern due to its widespread range and adaptability, though it is persecuted as a livestock predator and rabies vector. The species has lived in these regions for at least 2–3 million years, as shown by fossil deposits, and is considered one of the most ancient extant canid species.
- Scientific name
- Lupulella mesomelas (formerly Canis mesomelas)
- Weight
- 6–13 kg (13–29 lb)
- Shoulder height
- 38–48 cm (15–19 in)
- Body length
- 67.3–81.2 cm (26.5–32.0 in)
- Gestation period
- 60 days
- Litter size
- 1–9 pups
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (IUCN)
Lore & Background
The black-backed jackal has a reddish brown to tan coat and a black saddle extending from shoulders to tail base. It is monogamous, with young often remaining to help raise new litters. Its diet includes small to medium animals, plant matter, and human refuse. It plays a prominent role in African folklore as a cunning trickster figure.
Reader's Guide
The black-backed jackal's significance lies in its ancient lineage and remarkable adaptability. Fossil evidence shows it has inhabited eastern and southern Africa for at least 2–3 million years, with specimens from Transvaal nearly identical to modern forms. Genetic studies reveal deep divergence from other wolf-like canids, leading to proposals for its placement in the distinct genus Lupulella. Mitochondrial DNA indicates the two subspecies (Cape and East African) diverged about 2.5 million years ago, possibly warranting separate species status. The species thrives in diverse habitats from deserts to alpine regions, aided by kidneys adapted for water deprivation. Its cooperative breeding behavior, where older offspring assist parents, increases pup survival. Despite ongoing conflict with humans over livestock predation, populations remain stable due to resilience. The black-backed jackal also holds cultural importance as a trickster figure in African folklore, embodying cunning and adaptability.
Did You Know?
- The black-backed jackal has lived in eastern and southern Africa for at least 2–3 million years.
- Its two subspecies diverged from each other about 2.5 million years ago, longer than the separation of the African golden wolf from the wolf lineage.
- The species is more adapted to a carnivorous diet than other jackals, with well-developed carnassial shear and longer cutting blade of premolars.
- Albino specimens occasionally occur.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Black-backed jackal's key abilities?
This species is prized in the canid world for its ecological versatility, thriving across a wide variety of habitat types throughout its African range. Reproductively it is highly flexible: gestation runs about 60 days, and a single litter can contain anywhere from one pup to as many as nine.
How does Black-backed jackal's story end?
The latest IUCN Red List assessment places the species at Least Concern, a status earned through its broad distribution and adaptability. That said, it still contends with human persecution as a perceived livestock predator and a potential rabies vector.
Why is Black-backed jackal important to the canid family?
Fossil deposits indicate this lineage has been present in Africa for at least two to three million years, making it one of the oldest surviving canid species on the planet. That deep evolutionary continuity gives researchers a rare window into how early African dogs diversified over millions of years.
What is Black-backed jackal's role in folklore?
Across numerous African cultural traditions, the black-backed jackal is cast as a sly, opportunistic trickster—a mirror of its real-world boldness around human settlements and its clever, scavenging hunting style. This trickster persona has endured in oral storytelling alongside the species' scientific study for generations.
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