Mammals · Carnivora · Canidae

Side-striped Jackal

Canis adustus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The side-striped jackal is the most forest-dwelling and the least known of the African jackals. It is told apart by a white stripe and a black one running along each flank, and by the white tip of its tail. Unlike the black-backed jackal it prefers dense woodland and scrub to open ground. It is strictly nocturnal, omnivorous and surprisingly fond of fruit: in some areas fruit makes up more than half its diet. It lives in monogamous pairs that defend a territory.

Weight

6.5 kg – 14 kg

Size

65 cm – 81 cm

Lifespan

12 years

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

SavannaRainforestTemperate forestGrasslandOmnivore Nocturnal In pairs Savanna Rainforest Temperate forest Grassland Mammal

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Fun facts

GeneralThe most omnivorous of the jackals: fruit and insects make up much of its diet.
It is the most fruit-eating of the African canids: in some seasons more than half its diet is fruit, and it acts as a seed disperser for several savannah trees.
Its white tail tip is the feature that tells it apart at a glance from the black-backed jackal, whose tail tip is black, and that detail is the only reliable one at night in a spotlight beam.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Miombo woodland, wooded savannah and dense scrub of sub-Saharan Africa, avoiding open ground
Sexual maturity: 9 months
Gestation / incubation: 2.1 months
Litter / clutch size: 4

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupulella_adusta