Black-backed jackal..

Black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas)

It is also known as the silver-backed or red jackal, and is a species of jackal which inhabits two areas of the African continent separated by roughly 900 km.

One region includes the southern-most tip of the continent, including South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. The other area is along the eastern coastline, including Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti and Ethiopia.

It is the oldest extant member of the genus Canis. In other words it’s one old dog…. Although the most lightly built of jackals, it is the most aggressive, having been observed to singly kill animals many times its own size, and its intra-pack relationships are more quarrelsome.

Black-backed jackals are small, fox-like canids and are the smallest of the three species called jackal. They measure 30–48 cm (12–19 in) in shoulder height and 60–90 cm (24–35 in) in length. The tail measures 26–40 cm (10–16 in) in length. Male jackals weigh 6.8-9.5 kg (15-21 lb.), while females weigh 5.4–10 kg (12-22 lb.).

Jackals usually den in holes made by other species, though they will occasionally dig their own; females will dig tunnels 1–2 metres in depth with a 1-metre-wide entrance. Black-backed jackals are monogamous and territorial animals, and with the assistance of the elder offspring, the pups are raised. This has a greater bearing on pup survival. During the mating season, they become increasingly more vocal and territorial, with dominant animals preventing same family subordinates from mating through constant harassment.