Black-backed jackal vs house mouse

Canis mesomelas compared with Mus musculus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black-backed jackal	house mouse
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Canidae (Dogs & Wolves)	Muridae (Mice & Rats)
Genus	Canis (Dogs & Wolves)	Mus (House Mice)
Species	Canis mesomelas	Mus musculus

Evolutionary Relationship

Black-backed jackal and house mouse share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

Black-backed jackal

LC — Least Concern

house mouse

LC — Least Concern

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black-backed jackal	house mouse
Diet	—	Omnivore
Average Lifespan	—	2 years
Average Length	—	9 cm
Average Weight	—	20 g

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black-backed jackal

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

house mouse

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 8 distinct biome types. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (9 countries), Asia (13 countries), Europe (41 countries), North America (14 countries), Oceania and the Pacific (12 countries), and South America (10 countries).

Black-backed jackal

The Black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas) is a species in the genus Canis. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

house mouse

Among the most widespread and numerous mammals on Earth, house mice originated in South Asia and have accompanied human civilization across every continent except Antarctica. Weighing just 15–25 g, they are highly adaptable omnivores capable of surviving on minimal food and water. As the world's most commonly used laboratory animal, the house mouse has contributed to virtually every branch of biomedical research. They cause significant agricultural damage globally.