يتراوح طول ابن آوى بين 60 الى 90 سنتم. يشاهد غالباً من غروب الشمس حتى الفجر. يألف الغابات والمناطق الكثيفة والقريبة من القرى مثل غابة بعقلين. تضع الأنثى في نهاية الربيع ما بين 4-6 صغار ويبقون مع أمهم لمدة 6 أشهر.
يتغذى إبن آوى على الفاكهة والطيور والحشرات والقوارض.
The Golden Jackal (Canis aureus syriacus)
Status: The Jackal is relatively common throughout a range of habitats in Lebanon.
Description: This species strongly resembles a wolf, but is much smaller (head and body measure approximately 69 cm), more slender, and has proportionately bigger ears. It has a tawny or golden coat as suggested by its Latin name (“aureus means golden).
Habitat: Jackals are found in a wide variety of habitats. In the daytime they hide in dense thickets, holes or caves. During winter, snow causes them to move to lower altitudes.
Habits: Jackals are mostly nocturnal but are also active around sunrise and sunset. Very opportunistic feeders, they are known to eat anything from fallen fruit to small livestock to carrion. Socially, they associate as mated pairs in small family groups of around five individuals, although larger groups are not unheard of. Jackals communicate by howling, and are referred to in Arabic as “ibn awee? (son of the howl). They breed in early spring and use more than one den. Gestation is about two months, and litter size ranges from one to nine.
Distribution: Golden Jackals are widely distributed throughout Southern and Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia Minor, Russia, India, Burma, China and the eastern Mediterranean region.