Canis mesomelas or the black-backed jackal is known for its adaptability, and is found in many areas across Africa. Their unique coat, special howl, and strong survival skills make the black-backed jackal important to the African ecosystem. Nevertheless, even though people who visit African wildlife regions are familiar with the black-backed jackal, this animal is still interesting and can be easily misunderstood.
In this article, we’ll delve into 5 fascinating facts about the black-backed jackal to help paint a clearer picture of this intelligent, resilient, and incredibly adaptable species. If you are passionate about animals, travel to Africa often, or have an interest in unique creatures, these facts will give you a better idea of this outstanding predator.
Discover fascinating facts about the Black-backed Jackal, including its habitat, diet, behavior, and role in the ecosystem. Learn more about this clever and adaptable African canid.
Introduction to the Black-backed Jackal
Black-backed jackals, found across sub-Saharan Africa, belong to a family called Canidae, which includes wolves, foxes, as well as dogs. It is common to see this carnivore on savannahs, in grasslands and scrubland areas, and in the dry regions found in southern Africa.
Black-backed jackals are so named as they have a dark brown or black area on their back, appearing as a saddle, which makes their fur distinguishable from others. Because of how sleek and graceful they are, they can hunt as well as scavenge for food. They can manage well in a safari park or in residential zones that humans live in.
Being opportunistic, black-backed jackals feed by hunting small creatures like mammals, birds, and reptiles or by stealing food from lions and cheetahs. Because of what they eat and how they act, along with their social lives with other animals, they are very interesting to observe.
Now, let’s dive deeper into 5 fascinating facts about the black-backed jackal that highlight why it’s such a compelling creature in the African wilderness.
The Black-backed Jackal is an Opportunistic Omnivore
Significantly, black-backed jackals feed on meat as well as fruits, vegetables, and grains. Since it mainly eats meat, yet thrives in many habitats, it is considered highly adaptable.
Black-backed jackals are known to eat whatever they can find as well as hunt down prey. Vultures are known to eat what remains of the prey that lions, cheetahs, and leopards kill. Still, they also go after small animals like rodents, hares, birds, and reptiles, including small antelopes.
They eat a wide range of foods that change to fit the supplies in their environment. Adaptability allows them to live even when their food is not easy to find. When there are not many food resources, they may feed on fruits, insects, and plants, such as roots and tubers. Switching to omnivory from their carnivorous habits enables black-backed jackals to remain in different habitats such as grasslands, savannahs, and desert areas.
It is noteworthy that black-backed jackals can behave as a group when hunting for their prey. Although they can hunt solo, jackals often collaborate with other members to hunt animals that are bigger. They normally hunt by themselves or with their families, searching over a wide landscape for something to eat.
Black-backed Jackals Have Complex Social Structures
The way black-backed jackals live in groups is also quite interesting. Although reptiles tend to act alone, certain species join together in mated pairs to look after their families. Black-backed jackals stick together for their entire life and form strong connections with their mates. They usually team up to provide food for their babies, who live with both parents in dens.
Black-backed jackals are more social with each other during the breeding season compared to other seasons. Typically, the family group is made up of the parents and their young, who live with them until they are old enough to be on their own.
Even though the family is the key structure in a jackal’s life, jackals do have social hierarchies. Among groups, individuals usually act in certain ways that keep everything organized, such as showing dominance or submission. The problem is especially clear in relation to people’s ability to get food. More powerful individuals in the group eat first, while others have to wait for their turn to eat.
Interestingly, these jackals may bond with animals that are not their immediate family members. In certain places, jackals sometimes unite in groups, and they team up momentarily during hunts or to safeguard their land. Typically, such groups only last as long as it takes to fulfill the jackals’ current needs.
Black-backed Jackals are Skilled Hunters and Excellent Scavengers
Thanks to its skills, the black-backed jackal is able to hunt with excellent strategies. They have a good sense of smell and can hear even the slightest sound, which enables them to hunt animals from a distance. They also use their fast and agile body to grab small prey such as rodents, birds, and reptiles. While hunting for rodents, they use their strong hearing to sense when the animals are under the surface of the ground. Foxes occasionally make burrows to catch their meals and display their adaptable and resourceful traits.
Although hunting is one of their strengths, black-backed jackals are very skilled at taking advantage of what others leave behind. It often benefits from the kills made by bigger animals. During scavenging, black-backed jackals behave in a bold and opportunistic way. Usually, they stay close behind bigger predators, hoping to grab their meal if the opportunity comes. It becomes obvious when jackals hunt the leftovers of a cheetah’s or watch where lions and hyenas go.
In contrast to bigger scavengers, black-backed jackals usually do not compete against large predators when they come across food. Moreover, they can swiftly grab leftovers from other animals and therefore adapt well to hunting and finding food.
Thanks to their scavenging and hunting, black-backed jackals are able to adjust and survive in different places and under different food conditions. Being able to hunt and look for scraps helps them get most of the meals they find.
Black-backed Jackals Have a Distinctive Howl
One thing that distinguishes black-backed jackals is their individualistic howl. Black-backed jackals emit loud and mournful cries that are mostly heard in the early morning and just before sunset. This kind of howling helps jackals to talk with one another and there are several important benefits to it.
Howling helps jackals establish their boundaries, mainly in places where they could fight with rivals. Black-backed jackals use calls to let other jackals know not to invade their territory. Actually, the call of a black-backed jackal is loud enough to be heard far away and marks the area that others tend to avoid.
In addition, black-backed jackals use howling to talk with other members of their family. Whenever wolves are traveling or hunting together, or starting the breeding season, howls often help reunite the pack and show where each wolf is.
It’s interesting that black-backed jackals have the ability to alter their calls to be suited for each situation. Their howl lets jackals tell others in the pack about dangers, warn off rivals, or alert their mate, all important parts of their survival.
Black-backed Jackals Play a Crucial Role in Their Ecosystem
Because of their smallness, black-backed jackals still play an important role in several African ecosystems. Thanks to eating both the living and the dead, these animals control the numbers of small mammals, birds, and reptiles. Their role in keeping the numbers of other meat-eating animals down actually boosts the health of the vegetation in their areas.
Because they are opportunistic feeders, black-backed jackals keep the environment clean by consuming the carcasses left behind by other animals. As a result, the environment remains clean and there are fewer chances for illness to spread. Therefore, they play a key role in cleaning the environment and promoting the general health of where they live.
Also, due to their interactions with lions, leopards, and cheetahs, black-backed jackals are involved in the African savanna’s food web. Hunting and scavenging give them a function in the ecosystem, impacting other carnivores and maintaining the balance of animals feeding on each other.
Conclusion
The black-backed jackal is widely known for being both fascinating and very versatile among African animals. Their amazing hunting and eating habits, unique way of howling, and complex lifestyles help the black-backed jackal live in very tough areas. These 5 fascinating facts about the black-backed jackal highlight just how resilient and adaptable this remarkable animal truly is. Despite encountering difficulties, this animal is still important for the stability of the ecosystem. Realizing how the jackal behaves and fits into the food chain helps guarantee its survival where it lives as a wild animal. If we keep conserving and inform more people about how important it is, we can ensure that this species is around in the future for admiration.
