In recent months there is more and more talk of golden jackal, so we thought it was important to share some basic information with you to get to know this "new" presence.
The golden jackal is a Meso Carnivore that in recent years is naturally expanding its distribution range in places that had never known its presence previously.
The golden jackal (Canis aureus) is one of the 4 species of jackals in the world. In Italy, the larger subspecies moreoticus is widespread.
The jackal has an appearance and size intermediate between the wolf and the fox, and with the latter it is often confused.
The weight in adulthood is between 11-15kg for a height of 45-55cm at the withers.
Its coat color varies over the seasons, ranging from reddish fawn in winter to golden brown in summer.
The back tends to be darker than the belly and limbs which are lighter in color.
There are some peculiar characteristics in the color of the coat that can be useful to distinguish it from the fox, in particular the presence of the gular spot and the collar formed by bands of lighter hair in the neck area.
The tail considerably shorter than the fox, is blackish and never touches the ground.
Other chromatic characteristics that allow us to distinguish it from the fox are the legs and ears of a light and uniform color, which in the fox instead tend to brown.
In the jackal as in the wolf, black bands on the legs may be present.
The golden jackal is a social animal that lives in territorial herds. The herd is formed on average of 4-6 individuals and includes the monogamous reproductive couple, the children of the year before the dispersal and any helper or nurse.
The home range of the herd extends from 0,5km2 to 20km2, in Italy the average size is 5km2.
The dispersal process of the jackal is similar to that of the wolf, the distances traveled are several hundred km.
The jackal, although being a carnivore, is a very plastic and opportunistic animal.
It adapts to many food sources, both animal and vegetable, which allows it to live in very different environmental contexts. It lives on the Greek beaches where it feeds on turtles and molluscs, up to alpine environments around 1900m where it preys micro-mammals (mice, voles, rats) and agricultural environments where it feeds on agricultural crops (corn).
The factors that have contributed to the range expansion of this species are many.
The dispersal process, together with its strong adaptability, a favorable environmental context, the legal protection and the absence of the wolf from the European territory which is one of its main competitors, have allowed the jackal to reproduce and expand from some residual nuclei in the east Europe starting from the 60s of the last century.
He arrived in Italy in the mid-80s to initially settle in FVG and Veneto and then gradually expand towards north and west Italy.
Its recent arrival in Emilia Romagna and the identification of two new reproductive nuclei near Parma and in Trentino open up new scenarios on the expansion and conservation of the species whose estimated individuals in Italy are about a hundred.
He will certainly also be interested in observing the dynamics of interaction between jackal and wolf, which is the main competitor for this Medium Carnivore.
Photo by Yannick Fanin in Romania.
In collaboration with Explore Karst - nature experiences of FVG