Feeding-site selection by black-backed jackals on the Namib Desert coast
On the coast of the Namib Desert in Namibia black-backed jackals Canis mesomelas use specific feeding sites. The reasons for this behavioural trait, unique to these coastal jackals, are discussed. Hummocks of suitable size and vegetative cover are a prerequisite: the main advantage to the jackals feeding and lying up in shelter could be energy conservation in an area of high winds, low ambient temperature, and low prey density.
Journal of Arid Environments