Seasonal Differences in Territorial Behavior by Golden Jackals in Bangladesh: Howling versus Confrontation

Abstract

Responses of golden jackals (Canis aureus) to broadcasted howling were investigated in rural Bangladesh. Two hypotheses were tested: that the howl response shows the same annual trends reported for other Canis, being high during the season of pairing-mating when territories are being established, and low during the denning season when there is a risk to vulnerable young from advertising the location of their den to rival conspecifics; that the frequency of approach responses (confrontation) varies inversely with howl responses and is higher during denning when howling is low. Results support both hypotheses and are consistent with the primary function of howling being as a passive means of territory maintenance whereby dominant animals advertise their locations to facilitate mutual avoidance between groups and thereby reduce accidental confrontation.