Is this a jackal? (1 Viewer)

C

CyberDoc

Vagrant Birder

• May 22, 2005

• #1

Is this animal a jackal? [black-backed?]

http://www.kashmirnetwork.com/stuff/jackal.jpg

Sorry for the poor image.
Arent the ears kind of too short?

 

Keith Reeder

Watch the birdie...

• May 22, 2005

• #2

Much more like a wolf than a jackal, Doc... though I've no idea of the actual likelihood of that.

 

C

CyberDoc

Vagrant Birder

• May 22, 2005

• #3

There was a pair and the bigger one did look pretty much wolf-like but that would have to be extremely unusual. I'll do some checking up with the local wildlife guys.

 

david kelly

Drive-by Birder

• May 22, 2005

• #4

The jackal in India is the Golden Jackal which is larger and more wolf like than the Side-striped and Black-backed jackals of Africa. and does show a dark back. Indian Wolves are smaller and rangier than their northern cousins so it may be either. I think that I would plump for Golden Jackal.

David

 

Keith Reeder

Watch the birdie...

• May 22, 2005

• #5

Golden jackal sounds good David.

Now you've suggested it, a quick Google finds a lot of sites that refer to is as as wolf-like:

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/images/golden_jackal.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/golden_jackal.htm&h=179&w=194&sz=12&tbnid=kccOKvhAzyMJ:&tbnh=90&tbnw=98&hl=en&start=4&prev=/images%3Fq%3DGolden%2BJackal%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-GBfficial%26sa%3DN

for example...

 

M

maersk

Well-known member

• May 24, 2005

• #6

anyone else notice the similarites between the golden jackal and coyote? possibly closely related?

 

david kelly

Drive-by Birder

• May 24, 2005

• #7

I would think we are seeing an example of convergent evolution here as I believe that Coyotes are "small wolves", closer to the Red Wolf of eastern North America than the widespread Grey Wolf. I always though the Jackals were a distinct group within the genus Canis. I don't know where the Simien Wolf fits into the picture, or the newly discovered Nubian Wolf.

Unfortunately the "Scottish" wolf has been extinct for over 260 years.

David