Canis aureus Linnaeus 1758

5. Golden Jackal Canis aureus French: Chacal doré / German: Goldschakal / Spanish: Chacal dorado Other common names: Asiatic Jackal, Common Jackal Taxonomy. Canis aureus Linnaeus, 1758, Iran. As many as twelve subspecies are distinguished across the range. However, there is much variation and popula...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier
Format: Other/Unknown Material
Language:unknown
Published: Lynx Edicions 2009
Subjects:
Online Access:https://zenodo.org/record/6335027
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6335027
Description
Summary:5. Golden Jackal Canis aureus French: Chacal doré / German: Goldschakal / Spanish: Chacal dorado Other common names: Asiatic Jackal, Common Jackal Taxonomy. Canis aureus Linnaeus, 1758, Iran. As many as twelve subspecies are distinguished across the range. However, there is much variation and populations need to be re-evaluated using modern molecular techniques. Distribution. Widespread in N and NE Africa, occurring from Senegal on the W coast of Africa to Egypt in the E, in a range that includes Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya in the N to Nigeria, Chad, and Tanzania in the S. They have expanded their range from the Arabian Peninsula into Western Europe, to Bulgaria, Austria, and NE Italy and E into Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Central Asia, the entire Indian subcontinent, then E and S to Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, and parts of Indochina. Descriptive notes. Head-body 76-84 cm for males and 74-80 cm for females, tail 20-24 cm for males and 20-21 cm for females; weight 7-6-9- 8 kg for males and 6-5-7- 8 kg for females. Medium-sized canid, considered the most typical representative of the genus Canis. Approximately 12% difference in body weight between sexes. Basic coat color is golden but varies seasonally from pale creamy yellow to a dark tawny hue. The pelage on the back is often a mixture of black, brown, and white hairs, giving the appearance of a dark saddle similar to that of Black-backed Jackals. Jackals inhabiting rocky, mountainous terrain may have grayer coats. The belly and underparts are a lighter pale ginger to cream. Unique paler markings on the throat and chest make it possible to differentiate individuals. Melanistic and piebald forms are sometimes reported. The tail is bushy with a tan to black tip. The legs are relatively long, and the feet slender with small pads. Females have four pairs of mammae. The skull is more similar to Coyote and Gray Wolf than to Black-backed Jackal, Side-striped Jackal, or Ethiopian Wolf. The dental formulais13/3,C1/1,PM 4/4, M 2/3 =42. Habitat. Tolerance of arid ...