Luke Smith, age 11, of Butte, Mont., for his question:

HOW LARGE IS A JACKAL?

A jackal is a wild dog that can be found in Africa, southeastern Europe and Asia. It is a small animal that grows to be about 14 inches high at the shoulder and about two and a half feet long.

The jackal is primarily a scavenger that feeds on animals that it finds dead. For this reason it is often called the "street cleaner" of some Asian and African cities.

Although it may appear to be cowardly, the jackal is merely acting in its own natural way. Often it follows larger animals and cleans up the remains of their kills.

The jackal looks more like a fox than a dog, and because of its musky smell, it isn't often trained to be a pet.

In Asia, the jackal is often called "the howler" because of its yapping at night and its very mournful cry.