The European jackal (Canis aureus moreoticus ) is a subspecies of the Golden jackal. It was first described by French naturalist Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire during the Morea expedition.
The European jackal is the largest of the golden jackals. The fur is coarse and is generally brightly colored with blackish tones on the back. The thighs, upper legs, ears, and forehead are bright reddish chestnut. Jackals in Northern Dalmatia have broader than average skulls, which is thought to result from human-induced isolation from other populations, thus resulting in a new morphotype.
European jackals are found in Western Asia, the Caucasus, and Southeast Europe. They prefer to live in valleys and along rivers, canals, lakes, seashores, coastal vegetation, continental mixed forests, marshes, wetlands, agricultural landscapes, and near human habitations. These animals usually avoid mountainous forests but may enter alpine and sub-alpine areas during dispersal. In Turkey, the Caucasus, and Transcaucasia they have been observed up to 1,000 m (3,300 ft) above mean sea level, particularly in areas where the climate supports shrublands in high elevations. The Estonian population, which marks the only population of this species adapted to the boreal region, largely inhabits coastal grasslands, and reed beds, habitats where wolves are seldom present.
Golden jackals have a flexible social organization depending on the availability of food. The breeding pair is the basic social unit, and they are sometimes accompanied by their current litter of pups. Each family group marks its territory with scents around den areas and on the trails they most often use. Golden jackals often hunt alone, and sometimes in pairs, but rarely do they hunt in a pack. When hunting alone, the animal trots around an area and occasionally stops to sniff and listen. Once prey is located, the jackal conceals itself, quickly approaches its prey, and then pounces on it. The peak times for their searches are the early morning and the late evening. When hunting in pairs or packs, jackals run parallel to their prey and overtake it in unison. Jackals can travel up to 12-15 km (7.5-9.3 mi) during a single night in search of either food or a more suitable habitat. The animals communicate with each other through greetings, grooming, and group howling. They typically howl at dawn and in the evening, and sometimes at midday. Jackals give a warning call that is very different from their normal howling when they detect the presence of large carnivores such as wolves and tigers.
European jackals are omnivores. They hunt hares, small rodents, birds, and their eggs. They also eat lizards, snakes, frogs, fish, turtles, mollusks, and insects. During the winter period, they will kill many nutrias and waterfowl. During such times, jackals will surplus kill and cache what they do not eat. European jackals also feed on fruits, seeds, leaves, and grass.
Golden jackals are monogamous and will remain with one partner until death. Their breeding season depends on location. Most breeding pairs are spaced well apart and maintain a core territory around their dens. Dens are 2-3 m (6.6-9.8 ft) long and 0.5-1 m (1.6-3.3 ft) deep, with between 1-3 openings. Young pups can be moved between 2-4 dens. The male helps with digging the den and raising the pups. The number of pups born in a single litter varies geographically and generally consists of 3-8 pups. The pups are born with closed eyes that open after 8-11 days, with the ears erecting after 10-13 days. They are born with soft fur that ranges in color from light gray to dark brown. At the age of one month, their fur is shed and replaced with a new reddish-colored pelt with black speckles. The pups begin to eat meat at the age of 15-20 days. Once the lactation period concludes, the female drives off her young. Pups born late remain with their mother until early autumn, at which time they leave either singly or in groups of 2 to 4 individuals. Females become reproductively mature after 10-11 months of age and males when they are 21-22 months old.
One of the serious concerns of the Golden jackal population is diseases. Rabies and distemper, for example, occasionally cause high numbers of mortality among these animals. On the other hand, they are hunted and persecuted as livestock predators and pests. However, the major threat is the alteration of traditional land-use practices. Some parts of their habitat are presently turning to industrial areas and agricultural lands, which leads to a reduction of cover and food shortages.
According to IUCN Red List, the total population size of the European jackal is 97,000-117,000 individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are increasing.
Golden jackals are key scavengers in their home range. They consume garbage and carrion around villages and towns. Also, they control the numbers of prey populations. Thus, they benefit agriculture, feeding upon rodents and lagomorphs.
