Common jackal

Common jackal
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Genus: Canis
Species: C. aureus
Subspecies: C. a. aureus
Trinomial name
Canis aureus aureus
Linnaeus, 1758
C. a. aureus range (red)
Synonyms

balcanicus (Brusina, 1892)
caucasica (Kolenati, 1858)
dalmatinus (Wagner, 1841)
hadramauticus (Noack, 1896)
hungaricus (Ehik, 1938)
kola (Wroughton, 1916)
lanka (Wroughton, 1916)
maroccanus (Cabrera, 1921)
typicus (Kolenati, 1858)
vulgaris (Wagner, 1841)[1]

The common jackal (Canis aureus aureus), also known as the Persian[2] or Turkestan jackal is a subspecies of golden jackal native to Middle Asia, Afghanistan, northwestern India (Kutch, Sindh and Gujarat), Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, and the Arabian Peninsula. It is a large subspecies with soft, pale fur with predominantly sandy tones.[3]

Physical description

The general colour of the outer fur is usually black and white, while the underfur varies from pale brown to pale slate-grey. Occasionally, the nape and shoulders are of a buff colour. The ears and front legs are buff, sometimes tan, while the feet are pale. The hind legs are more deeply tinted above the hocks. The chin and forethroat are usually whitish. Weight varies geographically, ranging around 18-22 lbs. In areas where it borders the range of the larger, more richly coloured Indian jackal (particularly in Kumaun), animals of intermediate size and colour sometimes appear.[2] The Persian jackals of Elburz are renowned for the softness of their pelts, which are usually coarse in other geographic variants of the species.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Wozencraft, W.C. (2005). "Order Carnivora". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  2. 1 2 Pocock, R. I. (1941), Fauna of British India: Mammals Volume 2, Taylor and Francis
  3. ↑ V.G Heptner and N.P Naumov editors, (1998), Mammals of the Soviet Union Vol.II Part 1a, SIRENIA AND CARNIVORA (Sea cows; Wolves and Bears), Science Publishers, Inc. USA. ISBN 1-886106-81-9
  4. ↑ Bachrach, Max (1953), Fur: a practical treatise by Max Bachrach, 3rd ed. published by New York : Prentice-Hall, 1953
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