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001 Golden jackal and azureum flowers in Jim Corbett National Park Photo by Giles Laurent.jpg · Resized and converted to WebP for display. Giles Laurent · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field guide · species

Golden Jackal

Canis aureus

The golden jackal is an adaptable canid whose common name has historically been applied too broadly. This account uses the current linked taxonomic concept rather than treating African golden wolves as the same species.

Public research profile · final editorial review pending.

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Tree of lifeScientific lineage

Advanced classification

Complete source lineage, including intermediate ranks. The standard view uses Life and the eight principal ranks.

cellular organisms cellular root
Eukaryota domain
Opisthokonta clade
Metazoa kingdom
Eumetazoa clade
Bilateria clade
Deuterostomia clade
Chordata phylum
Craniata subphylum
Vertebrata clade
Gnathostomata clade
Teleostomi clade
Euteleostomi clade
Sarcopterygii superclass
Dipnotetrapodomorpha clade
Tetrapoda clade
Amniota clade
Mammalia class
Theria clade
Eutheria clade
Boreoeutheria clade
Laurasiatheria superorder
Carnivora order
Caniformia suborder
Canidae family
Canis genus
Canis aureus species

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Physical traits

A narrow muzzle, pointed ears and a coarse, variably golden-brown coat give it a foxlike appearance.

Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗

Habitat and range

Scrub, grassland edges and other mixed landscapes can provide food and shelter.

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Diet and nutrition

Small animals, carrion and plant foods contribute to an opportunistic omnivorous diet.

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Behavior and activity

Mated pairs and their young are important social units. Pairs may share resting areas and cooperate in raising offspring.

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Geographic distribution

The Mammal Diversity Database v2.5 records this species in Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Pakistan, Palestine, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Egypt?.

Scientific source 1 ↗ · Scientific source 2 ↗