Serval Pictures, Information and Facts
Servals are slender cats with a small head in relation to
it's body. The Serval measures 20-24 inches tall at the shoulder and 25-40 inches in length. It's
close set ears are tall and oval shaped with white spots on the back of the ear. It has long legs
and a somewhat short tail 12-18 inches long. The Servals fur is spotted boldly in black on tan,
with black stripes going down from the top of the head to it's back ending into spots. The Serval
weighs between 15-26 pounds in females and 20-40 pounds in males. The life span of the Serval
is approximately 12-15 years in the wild and up to 20 in captivity.
Although very uncommon, there is also a white Serval.
The Servals territory is in Africa, except for central Africa. It's main habitat is the savannas
because of the abundance of water. The Serval lives in the grasslands preferring tall grass and
bush near streams. The Serval prefers the tall grass for hunting. It hunts mainly at night on rats,
mice, reptiles, frogs, hares, insects and birds.
The Serval gives birth to 2-4 kittens. She cares for
her kittens alone. When the male kittens can hunt for themselves they leave home. The female
kittens remain with their mother for 2 years.
- The Servals legs are the longest, relative to it's size, of any cat.
- The hind legs are shorter then the front.
- The Serval can leap in the air 10-12 feet to catch a bird.
- Second to the Cheetah in speed. The Serval achieves a speed of 45-50 mph
- The Serval was worshiped as gods by the ancient Egyptians
Photos courtesy of: Sias van Schalkwyk, Creative Commons, Creative Commons/Vassil
Creative Commons/Trisha Shears
Serval Information
- About the serval: Known in Afrikaans as the Tierboskat, or tiger forest cat, the serval is a medium-sized feline most closely related to the caracal and the African golden cat.
- Where servals live: A native of Africa, the serval currently calls areas south of the Sahara home.
- What servals eat: An opportunistic predator, servals mainly subsist on rodents, though birds, reptiles, fish, and other animals are also hunted. Servals are also known to occasionally take on larger prey, such as deer or gazelle. Nocturnal animals, servals hunt primarily at night.
The preferred method of hunting for the serval is to leap high into the air, pouncing on their prey and then delivering a stunning blow. These animals will reach into burrows with their long front legs or by using them to hook fish out of water. Being such successful hunters, servals seldom, if ever, eat carrion.
- Family structure: Servals have anywhere from one to four kittens at a time and can give birth to multiple litters per year — though this usually only happens if the earlier litters die soon after birth. They try to time their birth cycles to coincide with kittens being born shortly before the height of the rodent breeding cycle. Gestation runs from 66 to 77 days.
- Habitat: Servals live mainly on the savanna, though not in semi-desert or dry steppes due to the animal’s need of a close water supply. Servals prefer to stay close to bush, tall grass, and dry reed beds near streams. This animal also tries to avoid living in dense jungle, though it will make its homes along the edge of such forests. Servals can also be found at high-altitude moorlands, as well as bamboo thickets. Kenya, in particular, hosts a high population of black servals.
- Endangered status: Servals are listed in Appendix 2 of CITES as “not necessarily now threatened with extinction but may become so unless trade is closely controlled.”
Physical Characteristics
Servals measure from 23 to 36 inches long and weigh from 15 to 26 pounds for females, and 20 to 40 pounds for males. Standing roughly two feet at the shoulder, the serval has a strong yet slender body. Its legs are long and its tail short. It also has a small head in proportion to the rest of its body, dominated by tall oval ears set close together.
The fur of the serval generally is tawny in color with black spots, and features two or four stripes running the length of its long neck and back, which eventually transition into spots as well.
The long legs of the serval serve as an adaption for hunting, aiding the animal as it chases down prey. And the elongated toes on the animal’s feet also allow it to capture partially concealed prey. The over-large ears and auditory bullae, a hollow bony structure on the skull, demonstrates a very acute hearing ability.
The serval has a top speed of 50 miles per hour when chasing down prey. This coupled with its long legs, which allow it to see over the tall grass of the savannah, and its large ears, which give it its acute hearing, make the serval a proficient hunter. This animal is able to leap up to 12 feet from a stationary position and can land precisely, stunning their catch upon impact.
Melanistic and White Servals
Melanistic servals typically can be found in mountainous regions at elevations up to 9,000 feet. These animals are quite common, having a similar appearance to “black leopards.” White servals on the other hand have never been found in the wild, and only four have been observed in captivity.