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- Hybrid in appearance: a third of Russian regions are threatened by super jackals
Hybrid in appearance: a third of Russian regions are threatened by super jackals
Scientists have registered a rapid expansion of the jackal habitat in the Russian Federation. Previously, these predators lived mainly in the vicinity of the Caucasus Mountains, but now they are found in 27 regions of the country, including territories beyond the Arctic Circle. The danger is the possibility of hybrid species that are indistinguishable from dogs and wolves, experts have warned. To monitor the spread of these predators, researchers have developed a test system that allows using genetic methods to distinguish between representatives of the canid family without fully decoding DNA. For more information about where dangerous predator hybrids come from and how to deal with them, see the Izvestia article.
Expansion of the jackal habitat
Scientists from Penza State University conducted one of the first studies in the country, which is devoted to the expansion of the habitat of jackals. They established the ways of dispersal of predators, and also developed a test system for their rapid genetic identification. According to experts, today it is the most actively spreading mammal species in Europe. It is already part of the fauna of 34 countries, and in Russia it is registered in 27 regions. However, the expansion of its range is of concern to the conservation community.
According to Svetlana Lukonina, one of the authors of the study, a zoologist and lecturer at the Department of Zoology and Ecology at PSU, the jackal belongs to an alien species and can have a significant impact on local ecosystems. According to her, these predators compete with native species, carry rabies and dangerous parasites, and can also attack livestock. In addition, there is a possibility of hybrids with dogs and wolves: such animals are able to combine the strength and aggressiveness of wolves with the lack of fear of humans characteristic of dogs, which potentially makes them "super predators".
— In this regard, there is a need to monitor the spread of jackals. It is especially important to use modern genetic methods that make it possible to quickly and accurately identify species," the specialist told Izvestia.
According to Svetlana Lukonina, until the second half of the 20th century, the Russian part of the range of these predators was limited to a narrow strip in the Pre-Caucasus. Today, the predator is actively moving north. This is facilitated by climate change, anthropogenic transformation of ecosystems, a decrease in the number of wolves, as well as the high ecological plasticity of jackals, which allows them to adapt to various living conditions and nutrition. The ability of young individuals to migrate over long distances also plays an important role.
— The jackals have already moved beyond the Arctic Circle, all the way to the Arkhangelsk region and the coast of the White Sea. But beyond the 51st parallel of northern latitude (above Saratov), breeding populations are still unknown. All finds are single visits. Therefore, it is too early to talk about stable populations in the middle zone," she said.
How to distinguish jackal hybrids from dogs and wolves
To track the distribution routes of predators, PSU scientists conducted a molecular genetic analysis of the biomaterial of individuals found in the Penza region. In order to speed up the analysis, experts have developed a special test system for rapid genetic identification of canids. It makes it possible, at the genetic level, to quickly distinguish between close evolutionary branches of canids (such as jackals, dogs, wolves). At the same time, the technique makes it possible to dispense with complete DNA decoding, which significantly reduces the cost and speeds up research.
The results showed that only two of the five individuals studied turned out to be purebred jackals, while three were probably distant hybrids with a dog or a wolf, the scientists said.
Studies have also suggested that jackals in the European part of Russia have the same set of genetic markers. This may indicate their resettlement from the Pre-Caucasus to the north as a single process.
— The jackal is characterized by high migration activity, it is able to travel considerable distances in search of food, and it easily adapts to the anthropogenic landscape. Now their range covers many regions of Central Russia and the Volga region. There are calls all the way to the north of the Arkhangelsk Region," Alexander Savchenko, head of the Department of Hunting Resource Management and Conservation at Siberian Federal University, told Izvestia.
According to the expert, the expansion of the range is typical for other predators. So, in some areas of Siberia, even sable has already begun to have a negative impact on other popular hunting sites.
— In recent years, unusual-colored jackals have been hunted in the North Caucasus. But there is no strict scientific evidence that these are hybrids. Therefore, the express methods developed by scientists for the accurate diagnosis of canids and, most importantly, their interspecific hybrids seem to be extremely important," said Alexander Saveliev, chief Researcher at the All-Russian Research Institute of Hunting and Animal Husbandry named after Professor B.M. Zhitkov, editor—in-chief of the journal Bulletin of Hunting Science.
According to the expert, such information is necessary for agencies responsible for the conservation and rational use of hunting resources. In many regions of Russia, where the presence of the jackal has already been recorded, this species is not included in the official lists of hunting resources, and hybrids especially do not have a separate status. As a result, specialists have limited opportunities to take the necessary measures.
However, not all hybrids are bad, said Alexander Saveliev. About 10 years ago, a new breed of service dogs was registered — the shalaika, obtained as a result of crossing a jackal and a husky. She is also called Sulimov's dog. Due to their keen sense of smell, these animals are used to check baggage at airports and detect infections, including COVID-19. In addition, the specialized institutes of the Ministry of Internal Affairs create hybrids of shepherds and wolves, which can be used as service dogs with high search qualities.
— In jackals, hybridization with dogs has been reliably noted. However, today it is difficult to trace this process in the natural environment. Perhaps the developments of colleagues from PSU will contribute to this. The study of hybridization and the solution of related issues can be implemented within the framework of programs to combat stray dogs, the problem of which is more acute, says Nikolai Sedikhin, a researcher at the Laboratory of Theriology at the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
At the same time, the expert noted that the hybridization of wolves and jackals with the subsequent appearance of viable offspring in the wild has not been recorded. In the natural environment, these species are direct competitors. At the same time, the wolf is highly aggressive towards other predators and is able to displace animals that are smaller than it, including dogs.
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