Jackals are not categorised based on their taxonomy but on their ecological role; the two true species in the Lupulella genus and the Golden Jackal in the Canis genus make them distantly related.
As the smallest of the group, the black-backed jackal is an aggressive hunter and often engages in territorial battles while feeding on plants and animals as required.
The side-striped jackal is by far the calmest of all, often feeding on insects and small mammals while occasionally scavenging from corpses.
Golden jackals, members of the Canis genus, are more closely related to wolves than any other jackals; they can even hybridise with them and extend across Southern Europe and India.
Jackals occupy a mesopredatory niche wherein they hunt and scavenge on a variety of prey while competing with carnivores of similar size.
The slender body and strong legs allow jackals to travel up to 15 kilometres a night while running at speeds of up to 16 kilometres an hour, mainly working at dawn and dusk.
Cowardly as they are, these guys are smart and use stealth to avoid danger, retreating from human contact to survive.
Considered to be clever killers of folklore, jackals are even said to rob prey captured by other larger predators, including lions, cheetahs, and lynxes.
Typically, jackals form monogamous pairs, defending their territory and raising their litters, with some species helping to raise the next generation of pups.