A literature-based framework for anticipating golden jackal (<em>Canis aureus</em>) colonisation: Insights from Europe and a Swiss case study

The expansion of the golden jackal (Canis aureus) in Europe, caused mainly by habitat fragmentation, climate change, and the decline of large carnivores until half a century ago, poses emerging challenges for newly colonised regions. With the arrival of a new species, potential effects on local animal communities, hunting, livestock husbandry, or the transfer of diseases need to be addressed. Therefore, anticipating probable areas for colonisation is crucial to allow early monitoring and targeted management strategies and thus mitigate potential conflicts from the beginning of the recolonisation. In this study, we therefore conducted a literature review on the golden jackal’s habitat use and diet on a European scale to identify ecological factors that influence its local distribution. We then used this information to model habitat suitability for the golden jackal in Switzerland, where increasing detections indicate the imminent colonisation. We modelled four scenarios with different we..., , # Data from: A literature-based framework for anticipating golden jackal (*Canis aureus*) colonisation: Insights from Europe and a Swiss case study Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.ghx3ffc49](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.ghx3ffc49) ## Description of the data and file structure This dataset was developed using a literature-based approach to model potential habitat suitability for the golden jackal (Canis aureus) in Switzerland. Ecological factors were assigned varying weights across four distinct scenarios, resulting in suitability layers ranging from 1 (highly suitable) to 0 (unsuitable). The dataset is georeferenced to the CH1903+ LV95 coordinate system. It includes four habitat suitability scenarios derived from literature on Canis aureus and applied to the environmental conditions of Switzerland. ### Files and variables #### File: S4_PredatorAvoidance.tif **Description:** Habitat suitability for golden jackal: 0 (unsuitable) to 1 (highly suitable). The dataset was created using fo..., ,