Mating normally occurs during June-July, but some mating may take place throughout the year. Diet includes small mammals, carrion, fruits, maize, reptiles, eggs and birds. The success of this omnivorous species can be attributed to its ability to live off a wide variety of food, changing its diet in response to environmental conditions. The dark tail is almost always tipped with white, whereas the ears are a dark buffy colour. Grey to buffy coloured body and with a darker back, the sides are marked with a white stripe with black lower margins. Shoulder height 400- 500 mm, mass 7-12 kg. The Side Striped Jackal is a nocturnal, dog-like carnivore, with a head and body length of 650-800 mm and tail length of 300-400 mm. In Uganda the distribution stretches throughout all four savannah national parks as well as Bwindi and Mgahinga.They are most likely to be seen in the north of Murchison falls. The Side Striped Jackal inhabits open plains. Interesting fact: One very common notion that enters our minds when we say "jackal" is howling, right? Well, this kind does not, despite the many sounds they can emit. These jackals can produce a repertoire of sounds, such as hooting, growling, whining and yapping. They live in pairs, and could even congregate up to 6 members. Male Side-striped jackal is bigger than females, and significantly so. Coming from afar, the stripes are not exactly outstanding, but up close, the banding patterns can be discerned. It does not usually inhabit mountainous areas, but can be found to about 1000 meters above sea level.The name originates from the light marks running alongside the sides of their bodies. However, this species prefers to live in flat shrublands and floodplains. It has the largest range of any jackal species and this means that they have learned to adapt to live in virtually any habitat. The golden jackal is found throughout northern Africa, the Middle East, southern Asia and southeastern Europe. The southern population is found in open plains and arid habitats, with areas of scattered brush, and the eastern population (who share their range with the other two species) inhabit the areas between the grasslands and the woodlands. These populations do not mix and there are about 900 km between them. The black-backed jackal is found throughout much of the far south of the African continent and in the east of the continent around the Horn of Africa. The most common habitat of this species is scrub and woodland areas. The side-striped jackal is found throughout much of central and southern Africa (although it is not found in the very south of the continent). Let’s find out more about the range and habitat of these species. Jackals are similar in appearance to other members of the canine family. Coyotes are sometimes called American jackals, but they are not actually a true jackal. The term jackal was once used for many members of the wolf family, but today it refers to just three species black-backed jackal, side-striped jackal and the golden jackal.
Jackals are a member of the canine family and are closely related to other members of this family such as domestic dogs, wolves, coyotes and other species.