The golden jackal Canis aureus L. 1758 (Carnivora: Canidae) on the Tuscan Apennines

Abstract

We report the first observations of the golden jackal on the Tuscan Apennines (Italy). We observed two individuals 15 times in the district of Prato, between 21 November 2021 and 5 January 2022. Their presence has been assessed through camera traps at the edge of an urbanized area. The southernmost presence data for Italy reported in the literature is documented for Emilia-Romagna, about 200 km north from Prato, while a recent unpublished report records its presence in northern Lazio, about 300 km south. These observations highlight the need to increase the research effort to monitor the expansion of the golden jackal along the Italian peninsula more efficiently.