Sexual dimorphism in body parameters of the golden jackal Canis Aureus L., 1758 ( Carnivora, Canidae ) in the Sarnena Sredna gora mountain and Thracian plain ( Bulgaria )

Abstract

The study was conducted in the area of the Sarnena Sredna Gora Mountain and the Thracian Plain in period 1996-2014. On a total of 262 golden jackals (Canis aureus L., 1758) (119 males and 143 females) thirteen somatometric parameters were measured. The comparison of the linear body parameters and the weights between males and females showed apparent sexual dimorphism in the jackals with a high level of reliability, with an exception of the length of the tail. The index of body compactness and the weight index were calculated and compared. The index of body compactness did not differ between sexes. The body weight (10,994.24 g for males and 9,776.02 g for females in average) showed clear sexual dimorphism – male-female ratio was 11.08%. Our findings indicated that the sexual size dimorphism in golden jackal was weaker and lower than those in red fox and wolf.

Keywords

• body mass
• circumference
• linear parameters
• weight index