Occurrence of the golden jackal (Mammalia, Caninae, Canis aureus Linnaeus, 1758) in the Saratov region, expansion of its range in the region against the background of its expansion in Europe and Russia

Abstract

The history of golden jackal dispersal in Russia and adjacent countries, as well as in  southern, central, eastern and northern Europe, is  considered. Data confirming the demographic  explosion of this species on the European continent territory are given. Materials on the dispersal  of golden jackals in the European Russia are considered in more detail. The main emphasis is  made on the study of the process of golden jackal penetration into the territory of Saratov region,  from its first sightings in the Saratov Volga region in the late 1980s – early 1990s in the Dyakovsky (Saltovsky) forest to dispersal in adjacent territories. The penetration  of the species into the  Saratov Right Bank and its further dispersal throughout  the region on both banks of the Volga river is  described. It is shown that the areas of the modern jackal range are approximately the same both in  the Right Volga Bank and Left Volga Bank of the  Saratov region. However, the number of jackal  is currently higher in the areas of  the region located on the right bank of the Volga river. Probably,  this is explained by more favorable conditions for the golden jackal habitat in this part of the region, associated with its higher afforestation. Gold en jackals breed in the southern districts of the  Saratov region, located on both banks of the Volga river. However, golden jackals are also found  in the northernmost parts of the region, and most likely there, as well as in the south of the region,  its stable reproductively active groups appear. In the  Saratov Volga region, in spite of its very low  forest cover, the golden jackal  is recorded both in the south-eastern and north-eastern areas, but its  numbers are high enough only in the vicinity of the forest on the Prieruslan sands and in areas  along the Volga river, where there are areas of floodplain and bairn forests. In the Right Volga  Bank of the Saratov region the golden jackal is most abundant in upland oak forests of the  Privolzhskaya Upland, occurs in floodplain forests of the Medveditsa river and in the Medveditsa–Khopyor interfluve.