» This article is about the animal. For other meanings, see jackal (disambiguation). A jackal (from Turkish çakal, via Persian shaghal ultimately from Sanskrit sṛgālaḥ ) is any of three (sometimes four) small to medium-sized members of the family Canidae, found in Africa, Asia and Southeastern Europe. Jackals fill a similar ecological niche to the coyote in North America, that of predators of small to medium-sized animals, scavengers, and omnivores. Their long legs a… (More on Jackal)