Kingdom: Animalia Subkingdom: Bilateria Infrakingdom: Deuterostomia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Infraphylum: Gnathostomata Superclass: Tetrapoda Class: Mammalia Subclass: Theria Infraclass: Eutheria Order: Carnivora Suborder: Caniformia Family: Canidae Genus: Canis Species: Here is the taxonomy for jackals, according to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS): (Image credit: Dennis W Donohue Shutterstock ) Classification/taxonomy Jackals typically live 10 to 12 years.Ī side-striped jackal roams the savanna in Botswana. Some stay and babysit, protect and feed their younger siblings. Some jackals leave their parents at 11 months. Jackals become sexually mature at 6 to 11 months of age. Pups start hunting at around 6 months, but mom and dad still take care of them as long as they need it. To protect her pups, a mother jackal changes her den every two weeks. Most jackal pup deaths happen before they are 14 weeks old. Pups eat mother's milk and regurgitated food until they are weaned at 2 months. They are born with their eyes sealed shut and it take them around 10 days for their eyes to open.īaby jackals are called pups. After a gestation period of 57 to 70 days, the female will give birth to two to four babies in her underground den. Jackals have one mate for life, and both parents help take care of the young. Jackals will even eat decomposing or diseased flesh, according to Animal Planet. They will also eat human trash if something more suitable isn't available. Their diet consists of leftovers from other animals' kills, ground-dwelling birds, reptiles, antelopes, fruits, insects, berries and grass. DietĪs omnivores, jackals like to eat both meat and vegetation. This means that they are active during dawn, dusk and night. Jackals are often both diurnal and nocturnal. According to the ADW, jackal pairs who hunt together are three times more likely to get a successful kill than a single jackal. They are also very territorial and defend their territory as a team. Jackal pairs do everything together, including eating and sleeping. Packs typically include around six members. Some live together in small groups called packs, while others live alone or in pairs. Some jackals are social creatures, while others are not. (Image credit: Vladimir Kogan Michael Shutterstock ) Habits
A golden jackal crouches as it stalks some prey.