Side+Striped+Jackal

The side-striped jackal is a very interesting looking animal. They have long legs and muzzles, bushy tails with white fur on the end, and white stripes along their sides - which is how they get the name side-striped jackal. They have white lips, and their coat is mainly brown and grey and the front of its body is lighter in color than the back part of its body.

These creatures are found in Western and Central Africa and as far south as Zimbabwe and South Africa. They like to stay around bushes, grasslands, woodlands, marsh, and mountains. Side striped jackals like to avoid savannas, and stay highly elevated. They can survive in elevation levels of 6561 feet on a mountain. These animals eat fruits and small mammals such as rats or insects. They usually hunt alone or they hunt in small pairs or groups, which usually consists of about six members. They normally weight around 17-35 pounds and they can be as big as 2-3 feet. The side-striped jackal produces, on average, three cubs after a gestation period of about 57-70 days. The side-triped jackal is not in any way an endangered animal and hopefully it stays that way. This was a very interesting animal to learn about and hopefully we get to see one in South Africa.