Living BeingsCompare species
Black-backed Jackal
Lupulella mesomelas
African Golden Cat
Caracal auratus
Evidence from the profiles
Compare their characteristics
| Trait | Black-backed Jackal | African Golden Cat |
|---|---|---|
| Physical traits | A dark grizzled back contrasts with reddish sides and a paler underside. | The body is robust and the coat varies between reddish and grayish forms. Spotting can be more visible on some parts of the body. |
| Habitat and range | Dry and more varied open landscapes can be used, including areas influenced by people. | Dense African forest and secondary growth provide cover and hunting habitat. |
| Diet and nutrition | Small vertebrates, carrion, invertebrates and other available foods are eaten. | Rodents and other forest mammals are important prey. Birds and additional small animals may also be taken. |
| Behavior and activity | Foraging can occur alone or cooperatively. Daily timing varies, including shifts toward nighttime near human activity. | It is generally solitary and difficult to observe in dense cover. Sparse observations should not be treated as a complete account of its daily behavior. |
| Geographic distribution | The Mammal Diversity Database v2.5 records this species in Angola, Botswana, Djibouti, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe. | The Mammal Diversity Database v2.5 records this species in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Benin?, Burundi?, Gambia?, Guinea-Bissau?, Kenya?, Rwanda?, Senegal?, Sudan?, Togo?. |
Classification
Shared ancestry
Closest shared taxon: Carnivora.