JACKAL | Canis aureus Linnaeus

JACKAL | Canis aureus Linnaeus
Found in villages and around the abandoned places. Pug marks and scats are similar to dogs.

Scientific name : Canis aureus Linnaeus

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Genus: Canis
Species: C. aureus
Binomial name: Canis aureus

Local names : Kurukkan, Kurunari, Oolan.

Habitat : In and around villages and in all forest types.

Distribution : Distributed all over Kerala.

Indirect evidences : Scats, pug marks and calls.

Scat : Black in colour.

Size : 8 to 10 mm.

Foot prints : Similar to that of dogs and 4 to 5 cm in width.

Call and sound : Howling at dusk.

Habit : Mainly a scavenger but prey upon small mammals, poultry and even invertebrates. Catches fowls and goats from the villages.

Where to look for the animal : Small rocky bushes and thickets near the outskirts of cities and villages.