Side-striped Jackal (Lupulella adusta) lives in open savanna across Sub-Saharan Africa. It feeds on fruits and insects. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Side-striped Jackal
- The side-striped jackal first entered science in 1847 when Carl Jakob Sundevall named it Canis adustus, but a century later Max Hilzheimer pushed it into a new genus, Schaeffia adusta, in 1906. Fossil teeth push its lineage back to the Pliocene, and DNA work shows it and the black-backed jackal are the most basal wolf-like canids, pointing to an African origin for the whole clade. In 2019 experts argued the DNA split is strong enough to move both species into the distinct genus Lupulella.
- At 6.5-14 kg and 69-81 cm long, the side-striped jackal is a medium-sized canid that still out-sizes its black-backed cousin. Its shoulders stand 35-50 cm high, while the tail adds another 30-41 cm, giving it a sleek, elongated silhouette. These dimensions, paired with a flatter skull and longer rostrum, mixed diet of insects, fruit and small mammals.
- Unlike many jackals, the side-striped jackal leans heavily on fruit when it's in season, and in farms near villages fruit can make up 30 % of what it eats. Its diet shifts with the rains, favoring invertebrates in the wet months and small mammals such as springhares when the dry season hits. This flexibility lets it thrive beside humans, scavenging campsites and even raiding duck pens for feed while ignoring the birds.
- Side-striped jackals can live alone or in family groups of up to seven, but a breeding pair stays together for years, making them one of the few mammals that mate for life. In southern Africa they breed from June to November, with a gestation of 57-70 days and litters of three to six pups. The young become sexually mature at six to eight months and usually leave the pack by eleven months, a life-cycle that balances rapid turnover with long-term pair bonds.
- After years of charcoal cutting, the Katanino Forest Reserve in Zambia saw side-striped jackals return as the forest regenerated. Satellite data show forest cover grew from 1,023 to 1,610 ha since 2019 across the 4,372-ha reserve, a boost driven by natural regrowth rather than planting. Their comeback, noted alongside eagles and hyenas.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeSub-Saharan Africa
HabitatOpen savanna
DietFruits and insects
About the Side-striped Jackal
In the golden light of dawn, the side-striped jackal emerges from the shadows, its tawny coat glistening as it pads silently through the savannah, a master of stealth and cunning. With eyes that gleam like polished onyx, it navigates the grasslands with a quiet confidence, its bushy tail twitching with every snap of a twig or rustle of leaves. As it moves, its very presence seems to embody the wild and untamed spirit of the African wilderness, a testament to the enduring power and beauty of this ancient landscape.
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