Black-backed jackal

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Lore & Background

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. Specimens from fossil sites in Transvaal are almost identical to their modern counterparts, but have slightly different nasal bones. As no fossils have been found north of Ethiopia, the species likely has always been sub-Saharan in distribution. The black-backed jackal is relatively unspecialised, and can thrive in a wide variety of habitats, including deserts, as its kidneys are well adapted for water deprivation. It is, however, more adapted to a carnivorous diet than the other jackals, as shown by its well-developed carnassial shear and the longer cutting blade of the premolars. A mitochondrial DNA sequence alignment for the wolf-like canids gave a phylogenetic tree with the side-striped jackal and the black-backed jackal being the most basal members of this clade, which means that this tree is indicating an African origin for the clade. In 2017, a 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. The study proposes that due to this long separation, which is longer than the separation of the African golden wolf from the wolf lineage, that 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 a distinct genus, Lupulella, because DNA evidence shows that they form a monophyletic lineage that sits outside of the Canis/Cuon/Lycaon clade. Additional genetic research continues to support this separation, indicating that the black-backed jackal is one of the most ancient extant canid species, retaining primitive traits and showing limited evolutionary change since the Pleistocene epoch.

Reader's Guide

The black-backed jackal is a monogamous and territorial animal, whose social organisation greatly resembles that of the golden jackal. However, the assistance of elder offspring in helping raise the pups of their parents has a greater bearing on pup survival rates than in the latter species. This cooperative breeding behavior is a key component of their social structure, with older offspring often staying behind to support new litters rather than dispersing immediately. These cooperative dynamics help increase pup survival and reinforce familial bonds, contributing to long-term territory stability in certain populations. The basic social unit is a monogamous mated pair which defends its territory through laying faeces and urine on range boundaries. Scent marking is usually done in tandem, and the pair aggressively expels intruders. Such encounters are normally prevented, as the pair vocalises to advertise its presence in a given area. It is a highly vocal species, particularly in Southern Africa. Sounds made by the species include yelling, yelping, woofing, whining, growling, and cackling. It communicates with group members and advertises its presence by a high-pitched, whining howl, and expresses alarm through an explosive cry followed by shorter, high-pitched yelps. This sound is particularly frantic when mobbing a leopard. In areas where the black-backed jackal is sympatric with the African golden wolf, the species does not howl, instead relying more on yelps. In contrast, black-backed jackals in Southern Africa howl much like golden jackals. When trapped, it cackles like a fox. The mating season takes place from late May to August, with a gestation period of 60 days. Pups are born from July to October. Summer births are thought to be timed to coincide with population peaks of vlei rats and four-striped grass mice, while winter births are timed for ungulate calving seasons. Litters consist of one to nine pups, which are born blind. For the first three weeks of their lives, the pups are kept under constant surveillance by their dam, while the sire and elder offspring provide food. The pups open their eyes after 8–10 days and emerge from the den at the age of 3 weeks. They are weaned at 8–9 weeks, and can hunt by themselves at the age of 6 months. Sexual maturity is attained at 11 months, though few black-backed jackals reproduce in their first year. Unlike golden jackals, which have comparatively amicable intrapack relationships, black-backed jackal pups become increasingly quarrelsome as they age, and establish more rigid dominance hierarchies. Dominant pups appropriate food, and become independent at an earlier age. The grown pups may disperse at one year of age, though some remain in their natal territories to assist their parents in raising the next generation of pups. The average lifespan in the wild is 7 years, though captive specimens can live twice as long.

Did You Know?

• The black-backed jackal has lived in eastern and southern Africa for at least 2–3 million years, with fossil deposits found 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, a separation longer than that 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 deserts.
• In areas where the black-backed jackal is sympatric with the African golden wolf, the species does not howl, instead relying more on yelps.
• The average lifespan in the wild is 7 years, though captive specimens can live twice as long.

Deep Roots in African Soil – Evolutionary History

The black-backed jackal is one of the oldest surviving canid lineages, with fossil evidence stretching back two to three million years across Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa. Remarkably, specimens pulled from Transvaal fossil sites look nearly identical to living animals today, differing only in subtle nasal bone structure. The absence of fossils north of Ethiopia strongly suggests the species has always been confined to sub-Saharan Africa. Genetic work has deepened this picture: mitochondrial DNA comparisons place the divergence between black-backed jackals and other wolf-like canids at roughly 2.3 to 4.5 million years ago, a split deeper than the one separating the African golden wolf from true wolves.

A Living Fossil in Fur and Bone – Physical Form

Standing 38 to 48 centimeters at the shoulder and weighing between 6 and 13 kilograms, the black-backed jackal presents a slender, fox-like silhouette with long legs and oversized ears. Its base coat ranges from reddish brown to tan, paling across the flanks and legs, while a striking black saddle intermixed with silvery guard hairs stretches from the shoulders to the tail base. A long black flank stripe, unique to each individual like a fingerprint, separates the saddle from the body. The bushy tail ends in a black tip, and the lips, throat, chest, and inner limbs are white. In winter the reddish tones deepen noticeably. Beyond appearance, the skull and dentition are more robust than those of the side-striped jackal, with sharper incisors and a well-developed carnassial shear that signals a stronger carnivorous lean. Perhaps most striking is the kidney structure, finely tuned for water deprivation, allowing the animal to thrive in arid coastal deserts as well as regions receiving over 2,000 millimeters of annual rainfall.

Two Worlds, One Species – Range and Survival

The southern zone blankets the continent's tip, covering South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe, while the eastern zone hugs the coast through Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia. Within each zone the species shows remarkable habitat flexibility, tolerating everything from dry coastal deserts to lush areas with heavy rainfall, though it generally favors open terrain with sparse dense vegetation. Its diet mirrors this versatility: small to medium-sized prey, plant matter, and even human refuse all feature in its menu. Socially, the jackal is monogamous, and offspring often stay with the family unit to help raise subsequent litters, a cooperative arrangement that boosts pup survival. Despite these adaptive strengths, the species still faces persecution as a livestock predator and a potential rabies vector. Yet its IUCN status remains Least Concern, a testament to the sheer breadth of its range and its capacity to persist across wildly different landscapes.

Trickster of the Bush – Folklore and Human Encounter

Across much of Africa, the black-backed jackal occupies a prominent place in oral tradition, frequently cast as a cunning, adaptable trickster who outwits larger and more powerful opponents through cleverness rather than strength. This cultural image aligns neatly with the animal's real-world behavioral flexibility: its willingness to scavenge human refuse, its tolerance of diverse environments, and its ability to maintain stable populations even under sustained pressure. In practice, that same adaptability brings it into recurring conflict with pastoral communities, where predation on livestock and the risk of rabies transmission have made the jackal a target of persecution. Still, the species has proven remarkably resilient. Its wide geographic spread, omnivorous diet, monogamous social structure with cooperative pup-rearing, and physiological tweaks like water-conserving kidneys all contribute to a survival toolkit that keeps numbers steady across both the southern and eastern African ranges. The result is a paradox: an animal simultaneously reviled in the field and revered in the story, enduring for millions of years by being neither the strongest nor the fastest, but the most flexible.