Black-backed jackal

Black-backed jackal [least concern]

Scientific name: Lupulella mesomelas
Swahili: Bweha
Afrikaans: Rooijakkals

Medium-sized African canid typical of savannas, semi-arid areas, and mosaic habitats; highly adaptable and often associated with human-modified landscapes. Diet is opportunistic (small vertebrates, carrion, invertebrates, and plant material).

6–13 kg · 67.3–81.2 cm body length · 38–48 cm shoulder height

NUMBER OF MATURE INDIVIDUALS

stable

HABITAT & ECOLOGY

Savannas, shrublands, semi-deserts, and human-modified landscapes across parts of sub-Saharan Africa.