The black-backed jackal is a medium-sized animal that is similar to both wolves and foxes. Their coat is reddish-brown, tan, white, and black. With white on their underbelly, reddish-brown and tan on their limbs and face, and black on their backs and tails.

They have slender bodies with large ears, long legs, and a pointed nose. They weigh anywhere from 13 to 30 pounds, measure 15 to 19 inches at the shoulder, and measure 26 to 32 inches in body length. 

The black-backed jackal prefers open areas with little vegetation. Although, it does occupy many different landscapes, including coastal deserts to savannas, alpine areas, woodlands, and places with lots of rainfall.

Black-backed jackals can be found in many countries, but mostly in South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Botswana. The species are very territorial and will mark their area with urine. They tend to travel quite far on a daily basis, looking for food and changing locations so predators cannot get to them.

Black-backed jackals are omnivores, eating small mammals, reptiles, insects, and birds, as well as fruit, grass, and berries. Some mammals they eat consist of small antelopes, hares, and rodents.

They tend to hunt together for larger animals, like adult antelope, gazelles, and even large injured animals, like rhinoceros. Black-backed jackals also will pick at animals killed by large carnivores and can be described as opportunistic hunters. Meaning their hunting strategy consists of short, high-speed chases instead of long-distance chases to catch prey.

Black-backed jackal’s mating season takes place from May to August. Once pregnant, females wait about 60 days for their young to be born. Most pups are born from July to October, as the populations of some prey animals peaks during that time.

Most litters range from 1 to 9 pups and are conceived in a den or in dense bushes. At 3 weeks old, they begin to leave their den and play with their siblings outside. Many helpers from the group protect and keep surveillance over the pups to keep them from danger. By 6 months, the pups are able to hunt completely on their own.

The black-backed jackal has been around for an extremely long amount of time. In fact, it has occupied eastern and southern Africa for at least 2 to 3 million years! They, along with the side-striped jackal are the oldest base members of the Caninae subfamily.

Black-backed jackals can survive in many different habitats, mostly due to their kidneys being adapted for surviving without water. Their predators consist of African wild dogs, and leopards, though pups are prey for golden wolves, hyenas, and honey badgers.