---
title: "What the sources say about the Golden Jackal | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "41 claims from the Golden Jackal profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
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---

# What the sources say about the Golden Jackal (*Canis aureus*)

> 41 claims from the Golden Jackal profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Golden Jackal](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/golden-jackal/)

## Canis aureus (golden jackal). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Canis_aureus/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Animal Diversity Web's 1999 account | To cite this page: Ivory, A. 1999. "Canis aureus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. |
| Animal Diversity Web's 1999 account, which was written when Africa's jackals still counted as the same species and covers golden jackals on both continents | The golden jackal occurs in North and East Africa, Southeastern Europe and South Asia to Burma. (note: 1999 from the page's own 'Last updated: 1999-06-07' line; the range sentence shows the account covers African and Eurasian animals, before the 2015 split) |
| a body 70 to 85 centimeters long, plus a roughly 25-centimeter tail, a shoulder height of about 40 centimeters | The body length of the golden jackal is 70 to 85 cm., with a tail length of about 25 cm. Its standing height is approximately 40 cm. (note: pre-split figure, scoped in the sentence) |
| a weight of 8 to 10 kilograms | Range mass 8 to 10 kg 17.62 to 22.03 lb (note: pre-split figure, scoped in the sentence) |
| Animal Diversity Web's account predates the split and draws partly on jackals of the Serengeti | Golden jackals of the Serengeti court at the end of the dry season and produce pups during the rainy season. (note: account dated 1999 on its own page, before the 2015 split; the Serengeti animals are now the African golden wolf) |
| It describes golden jackals living in strictly monogamous mated pairs | Golden jackals live in mated pairs and are strictly monogamous. |
| that forage and rest together, their behavior highly synchronized | Golden jackal pairs forage and rest together. All of their behavior is highly synchronized. |
| By howling together, a pair shows it shares a bond, which the account likens to a betrothal | By howling together, a pair shows that there is a bond between them, and thus the choral howling can be considered a kind of betrothal. |
| Where people live, golden jackals are strictly nocturnal, sheltering by day in dens they dig, in rock crevices, or in burrows dug by other animals | Golden jackals are strictly nocturnal in areas inhabited by humans, but may be partly diurnal elsewhere. They dig caverns for shelter, or use crevices in rocks, or caverns that were dug by other animals. (note: 'by day' follows from strictly nocturnal) |
| Life in a Monogamous Duet | Golden jackals live in mated pairs and are strictly monogamous. (note: heading; the section scopes ADW as pre-split) |
| Southeastern Europe through the Middle East to South Asia and Burma | The golden jackal occurs in North and East Africa, Southeastern Europe and South Asia to Burma. (note: quoting only the Southeastern Europe / South Asia / Burma portion; the African portion is out of scope post-split (Canis anthus, not Canis aureus)) |
| By howling together, a golden jackal pair shows it shares a bond | By howling together, a pair shows that there is a bond between them (note: vibe.reason; ADW's pre-split account, scoped in the body) |

## AnAge entry for Canis aureus. AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Build 15.

https://genomics.senescence.info/species/entry.php?species=Canis_aureus

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| AnAge lists a record of 18.8 years, set by a golden jackal in captivity | Maximum longevity 18.8 years (captivity) |

## Koepfli et al. (2015). Genome-wide Evidence Reveals that African and Eurasian Golden Jackals Are Distinct Species. Current Biology.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2015.06.060

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Biologists long treated golden jackals across Africa and Eurasia as one species | The golden jackal of Africa (Canis aureus) has long been considered a conspecific of jackals distributed throughout Eurasia |
| A 2015 genome study overturned that | populations of golden jackals from Africa and Eurasia represent distinct monophyletic lineages separated for more than one million years, sufficient to merit formal recognition as different species (note: "2015" is the reference's publication year, from its metadata, not a figure inside the quoted passage) |
| Researchers analyzed mitochondrial DNA, nuclear genes and whole genomes from African and Eurasian populations | we analyzed extensive genomic data including mitochondrial genome sequences, sequences from 20 autosomal loci (17 introns and 3 exon segments), microsatellite loci, X- and Y-linked zinc-finger protein gene (ZFX and ZFY) sequences, and whole-genome nuclear sequences in African and Eurasian golden jackals and gray wolves |
| found they had been separate evolutionary lineages for over a million years, distinct enough to be formally split | populations of golden jackals from Africa and Eurasia represent distinct monophyletic lineages separated for more than one million years, sufficient to merit formal recognition as different species |
| Africa's population became the African golden wolf, while Canis aureus, the true golden jackal profiled here, kept its name for the Eurasian animals | C. anthus (African golden wolf) and C. aureus (Eurasian golden jackal) |
| whose populations nearest Africa live in the Middle East | The golden jackal of Africa (Canis aureus) has long been considered a conspecific of jackals distributed throughout Eurasia, with the nearest source populations in the Middle East |
| One Name, Two Species | sufficient to merit formal recognition as different species: C. anthus (African golden wolf) and C. aureus (Eurasian golden jackal) (note: heading restates the split already covered by the surrounding claims) |
| A Million Years Apart | populations of golden jackals from Africa and Eurasia represent distinct monophyletic lineages separated for more than one million years (note: blockquote bold lead-in) |
| Genetic testing found that Africa's golden jackals and Eurasia's had been separate lineages for more than a million years, despite a striking resemblance between East African and Eurasian animals that may have misled taxonomists | populations of golden jackals from Africa and Eurasia represent distinct monophyletic lineages separated for more than one million years ... we demonstrate a striking morphologic similarity between East African and Eurasian golden jackals, suggesting parallelism, which may have misled taxonomists |
| The Eurasian canid that split from Africa's look-alike golden wolf more than a million years ago | populations of golden jackals from Africa and Eurasia represent distinct monophyletic lineages separated for more than one million years, sufficient to merit formal recognition as different species: C. anthus (African golden wolf) and C. aureus (Eurasian golden jackal). Using morphologic data, we demonstrate a striking morphologic similarity between East African and Eurasian golden jackals |
| The genetic study that split them suggests parallel evolution. Uniquely intense competition among East Africa's carnivores likely held the African animal to a body size much like the Eurasian jackal's, even though the two lineages had been apart for more than a million years | we demonstrate a striking morphologic similarity between East African and Eurasian golden jackals, suggesting parallelism, which may have misled taxonomists and likely reflects uniquely intense interspecific competition in the East African carnivore guild. Our study shows how ecology can confound taxonomy if interspecific competition constrains size diversification. |

## Gherman & Mihalca (2017). A synoptic overview of golden jackal parasites reveals high diversity of species. Parasites & Vectors.

https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-017-2329-8

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| is a medium-sized member of the dog family | The golden jackal, Canis aureus (Carnivora: Canidae) is a medium-sized canid species |
| The golden jackal is thought to have colonized Europe through the Balkan Peninsula during the late Holocene and early Neolithic | It is considered that the colonization of Europe by the golden jackal took place during the late Holocene and early Neolithic, through the Balkan Peninsula |
| A 2017 review of golden jackal parasites notes at least two expansions in the last century, one starting in the 1950s and a second in the 1980s, particularly evident in Europe | During the last century, the species has recorded at least two geographic expansion events. A notable expansion started in the 1950s, with a second one following during the 1980s. This is particularly evident in Europe. (note: "2017" is the reference's publication year, from its metadata) |
| By 2017, stable breeding populations had been recorded in about 20 European countries, with jackals turning up as occasional wanderers in nine more | Stable reproductive populations have been recorded in about 20 European countries, while in other nine, vagrant specimens were observed (note: "2017" is the reference's publication year, from its metadata) |
| The 2017 review calls their diet opportunistic and extremely varied: small mammals, birds and their eggs, amphibians, reptiles, even invertebrates, and carrion when it is available | Golden jackals have an opportunistic nutritional behaviour with an extremely varied diet ... They prey or scavenge on small mammals, birds and their eggs, amphibians, reptiles, even invertebrates, and they take carrion when available. (note: "2017" is the reference's publication year, from its metadata) |
| A Medium-Sized Canid | is a medium-sized canid species (note: heading) |
| then spread fast across Europe in the last century | During the last century, the species has recorded at least two geographic expansion events. A notable expansion started in the 1950s, with a second one following during the 1980s. This is particularly evident in Europe. |
| breeding populations recorded in about 20 European countries by 2017 | Stable reproductive populations have been recorded in about 20 European countries (note: "2017" is the reference's publication year, from its metadata) |
| Small mammals, birds and their eggs, amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates, carrion, and occasionally fruit or vegetables | They prey or scavenge on small mammals, birds and their eggs, amphibians, reptiles, even invertebrates, and they take carrion when available. Occasionally, jackals also feed on vegetables or fruits. |
| A fast geographic expansion | The golden jackal (Canis aureus) is a species under significant and fast geographic expansion. |
| across Europe over the last century, in at least two waves | During the last century, the species has recorded at least two geographic expansion events. A notable expansion started in the 1950s, with a second one following during the 1980s. This is particularly evident in Europe. |
| It hunts and scavenges a wide range of animal food, but a 2017 review notes that golden jackals occasionally eat vegetables or fruit too | They prey or scavenge on small mammals, birds and their eggs, amphibians, reptiles, even invertebrates, and they take carrion when available. Occasionally, jackals also feed on vegetables or fruits. (note: "2017" is the reference's publication year, from its metadata) |
| Researchers aren't sure. A 2017 review calls the factors unclear, but notes that land use, climate change and a lack of competition from other members of its genus have been suggested | The factors that facilitate the territorial expansion of golden jackals are unclear, but land use [ 11 ], climate change [ 12 , 13 ], and the lack of intra-genus competition have been suggested [ 12 – 14 ]. (note: "2017" is the reference's publication year, from its metadata) |

## Ranc, Krofel & Ćirović (2025). Canis aureus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025: e.T118264161A214278675.

https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2025-1.rlts.t118264161a214278675.en

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Least Concern | Least Concern |
| No. The IUCN Red List rates the golden jackal as Least Concern | Least Concern |

## Lammertsma, Villing & Jansman (2025). The arrival of the golden jackal (Canis aureus) in the Netherlands : a fact-finding study. Wageningen Environmental Research.

https://doi.org/10.18174/689589

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| dangerLevel: Medium | Attacks on humans and frequent attacks on farm animals and pets would appear to be unlikely. Golden jackals generally avoid human environments, especially by day. So far, there have been no known golden jackal attacks on humans in Europe. |
| dangerLevel: Medium | individuals that demonstrate excessively bold behaviour towards humans and therefore form a risk of bites |