ioo ANIMAL LIFE IN AFRICA 



a dire foe to the poultry farmer. Among mammals 

 practically all that can be overcome are devoured rats 

 and mice, small mungooses, hares, and the young and 

 even half-grown of the smaller antelopes up to the size 

 of duikers. The latter are often run down in fair chase, 

 for this animal can move with great speed, and rangers 

 have recorded having witnessed such hunts upon more 

 than one occasion. It does great damage to sheep 

 farmers by killing lambs, and, principally on that ac- 

 count, a war of extermination has been waged upon it 

 through many parts of South Africa. I have seen these 

 jackals eating pythons, and it is quite possible that the 

 native testimony as to their occasionally killing these 

 reptiles is quite correct. 



It is said that when he finds a python asleep in the 

 grass, especially when helpless after a heavy gorge, the 

 jackal watches his opportunity, and, springing in, seizes 

 it by the head. If the snake is a very large one, he 

 inflicts one severe bite, and instantly leaps back out of 

 reach, awaiting another chance ; but where a small 

 individual has to be dealt with, he maintains his hold, 

 and rushes off dragging it along at full speed, so that 

 it may be unable to secure a purchase with its tail. 

 Should it succeed in doing so he lets go at once and 

 springs out of harm's way. On the other hand, a python 

 in ambush, and on the look out for prey, will catch and 

 swallow a Black-Backed Jackal as readily as it will any 

 other animal of the same size. 



THE SIDE-STRIPED JACKAL. This is a rather larger 

 and stouter built animal than the last, but lacks its alert 

 appearance and active ways. The usual colour is silvery 

 grey, with a brownish tinge ; a white and a black stripe 

 run horizontally on either side of the body ; the face 

 and limbs are rufous, and the tail has a white extremity. 



