Egyptian jackal

Taxobox
name = Egyptian jackal


image_width = 230px
status = CR
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Mammalia
ordo = Carnivora
familia = Canidae
genus = "Canis"
species = "C. aureus"
subspecies = "C. a. lupaster"
range_

range_map_caption=
trinomial = "Canis aureus lupaster"
trinomial_authority = Hemprich and Ehrenberg, 1833

The Egyptian jackal ("Canis aureus lupaster") also known as the Egyptian wolf, or locally Dib or Deeb الذئب, الديب, is a critically endangered subspecies of golden jackal found locally in northern Egypt and northeastern Libya. It once flourished throughout Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula, but hunting has drastically reduced its numbers.

This species is native to Egypt, North Africa and possibly other regions. It is large for a golden jackal, and has formerly been recognized by Ferguson (1981)Full|date=April 2008 as a small wolf ("Canis lupus"). Spassov (1989)Full|date=April 2008 argued that the Egyptian jackal should be considered a full species, "Canis lupaster".

Distribution

The Egyptian jackal occurs in Egypt, especially in the Western Desert, around the Siwa, Dakhla and Kharga oases, near Cairo, including Gebel Asfar and Dahsur, the Fayoum and the Nile Valley south to Lake Nasser including Wadi Allaqi, in the Nile Delta, around Wadi Natrun, and in the Northern Sinai. There are currently no protection laws regarding this animal in Egypt, and the last estimate was that there remain only 30-50 Egyptian jackals still in existence.

Characteristics

It is a lanky animal, its fur usually grey-beige or dirty yellow. It is very rarely seen.

Related Cryptids

In 2002 Jugal K. TiwariFull|date=April 2008 reported a wolf-like canid from Danakil on the Eritrean coast, with long ears, a thin body and named by locals "wucharia". It is suggested that this may be a larger form of Egyptian jackal . Another possible unrecognized species may also be a form of the Egyptian jackal: the "Saharan wolf", reported by Bernard Heuvelmans in 1987,Full|date=April 2008 and later in Ahaggar Mountains and other parts of the Central Sahara.

Mythology

The Egyptian jackal is likely to be the jackal of the jackal-headed god Anubis in Egyptian mythology. Anubis's head is shown with a black appearance, long ears and pointed muzzle. This jackal-god was one of the most important mythic symbols in Ancient Egypt.

Genetic research

"Canis aureus lupaster" is larger, heavier and with longer limbs than other subspecies of "Canis aureus". (Ferguson 1981)Full|date=April 2008. The Egyptian jackal was originally described as "C. lupaster". Ferguson argued that this taxon should be considered a small desert wolf, based on cranial, mandible and dental measurements.

Skull and tooth characteristics are consistent with this species belonging to the golden jackal, with an elongated jaw and a flatter bottom jaw.

A sequence divergence of 4.8% between Egyptian and Israeli jackals suggests that the separation of "Canis aureus lupaster" as a subspecies may have some grounding. Furthermore, hybridisation was detected in the Egyptian jackal population, indicating introgression events between either jackals and feral dogs, or jackals and Grey Wolf.

In one study, the population genetic structure of the Egyptian golden jackal was investigated and compared to that of golden jackals in Israel, and also to the population genetic structure of wolves in Saudi Arabia and Oman.

Analysis of cytochrome b in mtDNA found that there was no genetic variation within the Egyptian jackal population, nor within the jackal population in Israel, which each displayed single, different haplotypes. This possibly indicates two independent bottleneck events. [University of Leeds, Faculty of Biological sciences. Masters Course in Biodiversity & Conservation. The distribution and abundance of golden jackals in Egypt. [http://www.fbs.leeds.ac.uk/gradschool/BCMSc/projects.html Abstract] ]

On the basis of DNA research, the Egyptian jackal is now classified as a subspecies of the golden jackal, not of the grey wolf.Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds) Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. [http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3/browse.asp?id=14000712] ] The former identification as a grey wolf was made due to the animal's characteristic strange profile with long legs, large ears and a wolf-like body.

CSG project

CSG/IUCN lead a project to review taxonomy affiliations and the status of the Egyptian jackal, and endeavour to recognise the form as a distinct species (CSG, 2004)Full|date=April 2008 .

References

*Hoath, Richard. "Field Guide to the Mammals of Egypt", American University in Cairo Press, 2003. ISBN 977 424 809 0

External links

*The [http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/canines.htm Wild Canines of Egypt] (Mark Hunter) Feature Story.
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=5gnWHLaUsqUC&pg=PA338&dq=canis+aureus+lupaster&ei=EpTnR7rGA4-KzQS66uGjDA&hl=pl&sig=zcsZpHJ7r1rGAJnBzH00v_7QXpg Proposal for canid survey in Sahara]