[Mount_Sannine]

Hello everyone,

Can anyone identify this animal? Although it is not me who has shot this specimen or those pictures, I have shot a couple of those animals few years ago, and spotted several others since whitout shooting them.

The guy who took these pictures is not sure about the breed either...

An important thing to note here is that the Location is Mount Lebanon (Between Syria and Israel)

The animal has bodily features from the Fox; pointed mussel, grey-brown color, but it stands higher than a fox and shorter than a coyote. It’s most characteristic feature is that it has a really short tail, like 15 cm long!

It is mostly a nocturnal animal. The sound it makes is close to the cries of the fox, but it is not a solitary animal like the fox, they travel mostly in packs of 3.

I thought at first that it might be a hybrid of Fox and Dog, but I have read somewhere that Foxes and Dogs have different numbers of chromosomes and this makes it impossible for them to breed (?) while dogs can breed with wolves and coyotes.

Would love to hear what you guys make of this...
Thank you for your inputs.

[canebrake]

Looks like a chubby fox.

It must eat well!

[Mount_Sannine]

They stand taller than the fox and they live in packs...
Plus the foxes that we have here have a long tail with a white tip (not sure about the exact name of the species) while these animals have a short tail.

But you are right they are chubby and this is due to the abundance of food I guess, they have no fear of getting close to homes and eat from the garbage left outside...

Edit: I have been trying to find more information about this animal for some years now in vain. I know that most of you guys are more familiar with the American versions of Canidaes, but I thought I'd give it a shot and ask here...

[canebrake]

Originally Posted by Mount_Sannine

They stand taller than the fox and they live in packs...
Plus the foxes that we have here have a long tail with a white tip (not sure about the exact name of the species) while these animals have a short tail.

But you are right they are chubby and this is due to the abundance of food I guess, they have no fear of getting close to homes and eat from the garbage left outside...

Edit: I have been trying to find more information about this animal for some years now in vain. I know that most of you guys are more familiar with the American versions of Canidaes, but I thought I'd give it a shot and ask here...

I'm sure as we move through a day cycle someone will jump in and give you some help IDing this furry fellow.

We have several yote terminators here and a ton of hunters.

Welcome again.

[Mount_Sannine]

Thank you canebrake.

[R-BOLT]

I showed this to a co-worker, he has caught hundreds of coyotes with grey hounds. He looked at photos and feel that is just a coyote. He says he catches some that have even shorter tails than the one in the photo. His best $.02.

[skullcrusher]

I would venture a guess at a coyote as well. We have alot of them here and I've seen them in all sizes and many different colors. Different tail lenghts, too. It could be a line that has bred with a wild dog somewhere in there.

[amoroque]

I think its a coyote too.

I know how it can be be frustrated with finding something out, maybe call your Division of Wildlife or take one in and see what the scientists have to say.

[IGETEVEN]

That my friend, I am pretty positive, is a subspecies of the Golden Jackal called "Canis a. syriacus" and it is native to those regions. It is very similar to the coyote we have here.

It weighs 5–12 kg (11–27 lb), and has a body length of 60-90 cm (24-35 in). Distinguished by its brown ears. Each hair of the back consists of four distinct colors; white at the root, then black, above which foxy-red, and the point black.

Habitat consists of Israel, Syria, and Jordan and they are not endangered.

Jack

[Mount_Sannine]

:-) IGETEVEN thank you my friend. Finaly got my answer! I knew you guys could help.

"Canis aureus syriacus", that has got to be it.

This is what wikipedia sais:

The Syrian Jackal (Canis aureus syriacus) is a subspecies of golden jackal native to the eastern Mediterranean region from the coast of Lebanon between Beirut and Tripoli. Jackals were common in Lebanon and Palestine in the 1930s–40s, but their populations were reduced during a zealous anti-rabies campaign. Its current status is difficult to ascertain, due to possible hybridisation with pariah dogs.[2] The syrian jackal is distinguished by its brown ears, and each hair of the back consists of four distinct colours; white at the root, then black, above which foxy-red, and the point black.[3] It weighs 5–12 kg (11–27 lb), and has a body length of 60-90 cm (24-35 in). Its head is 14.8–18 cm (5.8–7 in), and its tail is 20–30 cm (8–12 in).[2]

I m not that happy that it has Syria's name in it though :S

Thanks again for all of you!
Cheers