Daytime cover, diet and space-use of golden jackals (Canis aureus) in agro-ecosystems of Bangladesh

Abstract

Golden jackals are locally common in Bangladesh despite intensive cultivation and high human densities. We studied the relative importance of seasonal flooding, rodent prey-base, and daytime cover on the occurrence of golden jackals in the two major agro-ecosystems in Bangladesh, one with annual monsoon flooding and the other without. Jackals were less common throughout the year where floodwaters occurred that would have excluded them for 1-3 months during their pup-rearing season. Diets of jackals were similar in the two agro-ecosystems. Rodents were the most common food type in scats throughout the year. The occurrence of burrowing rats in scats peaked seasonally when these rats were most concentrated in ripening cereals, suggesting that jackals are beneficial for rat control. Radiotelemetry of seven jackals in the non-flooded agro-ecosystem over an 11-month period indicated that sugarcane was the preferred type of daytime cover, despite representing only 2-4% of the area. There was a day-to-day return rate of 67% to the same 1-ha patch of cover. Evidently, sugarcane provides daytime cover for avoiding humans and for feeding on roof rats (Rattus rattus), which concentrate in this crop. Evidence suggests that breeding pairs of jackals were annual residents that defended cover (average of 37.3 ha) but not foraging areas beyond.

Food preferences of golden jackals and sympatric red foxes in European temperate climate agricultural area (Hungary)

“…from the rodent community (Jędrze-jewska and Jędrzejewski 1998). These data corroborate that the golden jackal (and the red fox) characteristically prefer open habitats for hunting (Gittleman 1989); however, radiotelemetry (Loveridge and Macdonald 2003, Switalski 2003, Jaeger et al 2007) could provide more information on how sympatric jackals and foxes separate in time and space in Central Europe.…”

Seasonal variation in diet of the golden jackal (Canis aureus) in Serbia

“…The broadest dietary niche in this study was during spring coinciding with a period of resource abundance, and the lowest in winter when resources were scarce. During the more favourable part of the year, small mammals and plants were the most frequently found food categories, as previously reported from its Asian (Mukherjee et al 2004;Jaeger et al 2007) and European Markov and Lanszki 2012) part of distribution. Summer and autumn diet are overlapping also in great extent.…”

<b>Winter food habits of the Golden Jackal <I>Canis aureus</I> (Mammalia: Carnivora: Canidae) in Patna Bird Sanctuary, Uttar Pradesh, India</b>

“…Feeding on small mammals by jackal is reported in a number of studies in Asian (Demeter & Spassov 1993;Mukherjee et al 2004;Jaeger et al 2007) and the African continents (Lamprecht 1978;Goldenberg et al 2010) and European agricultural areas (Lanszki et al 2006;Lanszki & Heltai 2010). The presence of cattle, Nilgai and civet in the scat of Golden Jackal in the present study indicate scavenging on carcasses.…”