AnimalsDesert
Jackal Fun facts for kids
Canis aureus
The jackal lives in deserts and dry lands from Africa to India, and in Europe too and eats small animals, plus fruit and leftovers.
- Where it lives
- in deserts and dry lands from Africa to India, and in Europe too
- What it eats
- small animals, plus fruit and leftovers
- How big it is
- about as big as a medium dog
Fun facts about the jackal
The ones Sammy likes best. She tells them in the game, too.
Jackal families howl together when the sun goes down, and the neighbours often howl right back!
Jackal parents feed their little pups by bringing back up food they swallowed, like a takeaway delivery!
Older pups sometimes stay home for a year to help mum and dad look after the new babies.
Jackals often follow tigers, leopards or wolves to pick up their leftover food.
Jackal mums and dads often stay together for life and raise their pups as a team.
Jackals are slowly spreading across Europe and have reached faraway Denmark and Estonia in the north.
A jackal eats almost anything, from mice and insects to figs and grapes.
Riddle
Can a friend guess it?
Read the clues to someone, one at a time, without saying the animal. How many clues do they need? Fewer is better, just like in the game.
I rest during the day and come out at dusk and at night, often near villages.
My mate and I often stay together for life and raise our pups as a team.
My older pups sometimes stay home for a year to help look after the new babies.
I often follow tigers, leopards or wolves to eat the food they leave behind.
I look like a sandy gold wild dog, and my family howls together when the sun goes down.
Sammy might be thinking of a jackal.
In Thought Zoo, Sammy picks an animal and you ask her yes-or-no questions to find it. You'll find the jackal in the Desert adventure.
Play the DesertComing to iPad, iPhone and Android on 12 January 2027
