Serval (Leptailurus serval)

MammalWild catAfrica

Overview

The serval (Leptailurus serval) is a slender, elegant African wild cat built for hunting in tall grass. It has the longest legs relative to body size of any cat, a small head with very large, rounded ears, and a tawny coat boldly marked with black spots and bars. Those long legs and tall ears are no accident: they let the serval see and — above all — hear small prey hidden in dense vegetation.

The serval is one of the most successful hunters among cats, and is famous for a spectacular hunting move: a high, arcing pounce, leaping up and bringing its forepaws down to pin prey it has pinpointed by sound alone.

Note: details here cover the serval as a species; treat general statements as approximate and verify against authoritative sources.

Habitat & Range

Servals live across much of sub-Saharan Africa, strongly associated with well-watered grassland, wetlands, reedbeds, and savanna with tall grass and good cover. They favour areas near water and avoid dense forest and true desert, thriving where long grass hides the rodents and other small prey they hunt.

Diet

The serval is a carnivore that specialises in small prey, above all rodents, plus birds, frogs, reptiles, insects, and other small animals. It hunts mainly by sound, using its huge ears to detect the faint rustles of a rodent in the grass, then either stalking close or springing into its trademark high pounce to land on the hidden prey. Servals are remarkably successful hunters, catching a high proportion of the prey they go after.

Behavior

Servals are mostly solitary and active around dawn, dusk, and at night, resting in cover during the heat of the day. They are superb at locating and catching prey: the oversized ears can pinpoint a rodent underground or in thick grass, and the long legs power a vertical leap of several metres in distance and well over a metre high, ending in a forepaw strike. They also use their long legs to reach into burrows and to flush prey. Servals are territorial, marking their ranges, and females raise their kittens alone in sheltered dens. They are generally shy of people.

Human Interaction & Conservation

Servals are widespread and not currently considered globally threatened, though they face habitat loss (especially the draining of wetlands), persecution where blamed for taking poultry, and hunting for their skins in places. They are sometimes kept as exotic pets or bred into hybrid domestic cats, which is discouraged — they are wild animals with specialised needs. Observe them at a distance. Consult the IUCN Red List for current status.

More photos of the serval