A fascinating nocturnal canine found across parts of Africa, often favoring woodland or moist savannah habitats. Unlike many of its close relatives, this jackal tends to be more solitary, although it isn’t unusual to see small family groups or even packs of six or more roaming together. When pairs form, they show remarkable loyalty to each other, raising their pups with care and cooperation. One of the more curious behaviors of side-striped jackal mothers is how they feed their young: for a couple of hours, the mother will regurgitate her dinner, giving the pups a reliable and relaxed meal without the need for them to hunt or scavenge.
Side-striped jackals are resourceful when it comes to eating. They follow an “opportunistic” approach, snapping up whatever they can find, including insects, fruit, small rodents, and carrion. Still, their top pick is almost always meat, and they won’t pass up the chance to feast on fresh prey if it’s available. This wide-ranging diet is one reason they can survive in areas where food can be scarce.
One of the most intriguing traits of the side-striped jackal is its unique vocalization style. Each family has its own distinct calls, meaning that eavesdropping on nearby groups doesn’t do them much good in terms of gathering information. This private language likely helps family members keep track of each other while staying under the radar of potential rivals or predators. Strangely enough, when you take a closer look at their features, side-striped jackals often look more like small wolves than they do their jackal cousins, thanks to their larger body size and somewhat softer facial features.
Distribution
Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Central Af. Rep.
Chad
Congo-Brazzaville
Côte D’ivoire
DR Congo (Kinshasa)
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea-Bissau
Guinea
Kenya
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Rwanda
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
Sudan
Tanzania
Togo
Uganda
Zambia
ZimbabweAnything we've missed?
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Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
