UX Strategy

Colophon

The animal on the cover of UX Strategy is a black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas). The jackal is native to two areas of Africa: one region in the southernmost tip, including South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe; the other region along the east coast, including Keyna, Somalia, Djibouti, and Ethiopia.

The black-backed jackal is a very ancient species of canine, closely related to the side-striped jackal; earliest fossil carnivores can be linked to canids and date back to 38 to 56 million years ago. It is fox-like with a reddish coat and black saddle that runs from its shoulders to its tail. It eats unprejudiciously: small to medium sized animals, plant matter, and human refuse. It is a monogamous animal; the young of a family sometimes remain to help raise new generations of pups, which allows for higher pup survival rates in this species. Mating season occurs from late May to August, gestation lasts 60 days, and pups are born between July and October, often coinciding with population peaks of prey such as vlei rats and four-striped grass mice (in the summer) and calving seasons (in the winter).

As illustrated by its eating habits, the black-backed jackal is very adaptable, and can thrive in a variety of habitats. The jackal can thrive even in deserts, as its kidneys are adapted to water deprivation. Wherever it lives, the jackal is highly territorial, using scent marking and vocalizations such as yelling, yelping, whining, growling, woofing, and cackling to advertise ...