Black-backed jackal
Ancient African canid, adaptable trickster in folklore.
The black-backed jackal (Lupulella mesomelas) is a medium-sized canine native to two distinct regions of Africa: the southernmost tip of the continent, encompassing South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe, and a separate area along the eastern coastline that includes Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia. These two populations are separated by a gap of roughly 900 kilometers. The species is listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List due to its widespread range and adaptability, though it faces ongoing persecution as a livestock predator and a vector for rabies. Physically, the jackal has a reddish-brown to tan coat, with a distinctive black saddle of silvery hair extending from the shoulders to the base of the tail, and a long black stripe along the flanks that helps distinguish individuals. It is a monogamous animal; young often remain with the family to help raise subsequent litters. Its diet is highly varied, including small to medium-sized animals, plant matter, and human refuse. The black-backed jackal has inhabited eastern and southern Africa for at least two to three million years, based on fossil deposits in Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa. Specimens from Transvaal fossil sites are nearly identical to modern forms, differing only slightly in nasal bone structure. No fossils have been found north of Ethiopia, suggesting the species has always been sub-Saharan. It is relatively unspecialized and thrives in diverse habitats, including deserts, as its kidneys are well adapted for water deprivation. However, it is more carnivorous than other jackals, evidenced by its well-developed carnassial shear and longer premolar cutting blades. Genetic studies indicate a deep divergence from other wolf-like canids, with mitochondrial DNA suggesting the two recognized subspecies—Cape and East African—separated about 2.5 million years ago, leading some researchers to propose they may warrant separate species status. The species is also a prominent figure in African folklore, often portrayed as a cunning trickster.
- Scientific name
- Lupulella mesomelas (formerly Canis mesomelas)
- Weight
- 6–13 kg (13–29 lb)
- Shoulder height
- 38–48 cm (15–19 in)
- Body length
- 67.3–81.2 cm (26.5–32.0 in)
- Gestation period
- 60 days
- Litter size
- 1–9 pups
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (IUCN)
Quick Facts
- Genus
- Lupulella
- Species
- mesomelas
- Subdivision
- 2 subspecies, see text
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The black-backed jackal has a reddish brown to tan coat and a black saddle that extends from the shoulders to the base of the tail. It is a monogamous animal, whose young may remain with the family to help raise new generations of pups. The black-backed jackal has a wide array of food sources, feeding on small to medium-sized animals, as well as plant matter and human refuse. It also plays a prominent role in African folklore, often depicted as a cunning and adaptable trickster figure. Despite ongoing conflict with humans due to livestock predation, its populations remain stable thanks to its resilience and adaptability across diverse landscapes.
Reader's Guide
The black-backed jackal's significance lies in its ancient lineage and remarkable adaptability. Fossil evidence shows it has inhabited eastern and southern Africa for at least 2–3 million years, with specimens from fossil sites in Transvaal almost identical to their modern counterparts, but with slightly different nasal bones. Genetic studies reveal a large difference in mitochondrial DNA sequences between black-backed jackals and other sympatric 'jackal' species, consistent with divergence 2.3–4.5 million years ago. A 2017 mitochondrial DNA study found that the two black-backed jackal subspecies had diverged from each other 2.5 million years ago to form the south African and east African populations, and proposed that due to this long separation, the two subspecies might warrant separate species status. In 2019, members of the IUCN SSC Canid Specialist Group recommended that the black-backed jackal should be placed in the distinct genus Lupulella because DNA evidence shows it forms a monophyletic lineage that sits outside of the Canis/Cuon/Lycaon clade. The species thrives in a wide variety of habitats, including deserts, as its kidneys are well adapted for water deprivation. Its cooperative breeding behavior, where older offspring assist parents in raising new litters, has a greater bearing on pup survival rates than in the golden jackal. Despite ongoing conflict with humans over livestock predation, populations remain stable due to resilience and adaptability across diverse landscapes.
Did You Know?
- The black-backed jackal has lived in eastern and southern Africa for at least 2–3 million years, as shown by fossil deposits in Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa.
- A 2017 mitochondrial DNA study found that the two black-backed jackal subspecies diverged from each other 2.5 million years ago, longer than the separation of the African golden wolf from the wolf lineage.
- The black-backed jackal's kidneys are well adapted for water deprivation, allowing it to thrive in desert habitats.
- Older offspring often remain in their natal territories to assist their parents in raising the next generation of pups, a cooperative breeding behavior that increases pup survival.
- The species is listed on the IUCN Red List as least concern due to its widespread range and adaptability, despite being persecuted as a livestock predator and rabies vector.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Black-backed jackal's key abilities?
This species is prized in the canid world for its ecological versatility, thriving across a wide variety of habitat types throughout its African range. Reproductively it is highly flexible: gestation runs about 60 days, and a single litter can contain anywhere from one pup to as many as nine.
How does Black-backed jackal's story end?
The latest IUCN Red List assessment places the species at Least Concern, a status earned through its broad distribution and adaptability. That said, it still contends with human persecution as a perceived livestock predator and a potential rabies vector.
Why is Black-backed jackal important to the canid family?
Fossil deposits indicate this lineage has been present in Africa for at least two to three million years, making it one of the oldest surviving canid species on the planet. That deep evolutionary continuity gives researchers a rare window into how early African dogs diversified over millions of years.
What is Black-backed jackal's role in folklore?
Across numerous African cultural traditions, the black-backed jackal is cast as a sly, opportunistic trickster—a mirror of its real-world boldness around human settlements and its clever, scavenging hunting style. This trickster persona has endured in oral storytelling alongside the species' scientific study for generations.
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