Profile by Phil Crosby

Serval

Leptailurus serval

Ben Willis with a serval.Severals are popular pets in some countries.

Life span
Servals live for up to 19 years.

Statistics
Body length: 67-100 cm, Tail length: 24-45 cm, Shoulder height: 45-65 cm, Weight: males: 9-18 kg, female: 9-13 kg.

Physical Description
Servals have a pale-yellow coat with solid black spots and bands (variable). The tail has several rings and a black tip. They are slender and long-legged with a small head and broad ears. The fur is long and dense.

Distribution
Servals live in Africa from south of the Sahara to southern Africa.

Habitat
They inhabit savannah to forest, usually near water with densely vegetated banks.

Diet
Servals mainly hunt small mammals, especially rodents, but will also prey on birds, lizards, frogs and insects.

Behaviour
Servals are primarily crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk) but may also be active in the daytime. They can run swiftly for short distances and make remarkable vertical jumps of up to 3m to catch birds. They also make an arching leap spanning 1-4m and 1m high when hunting prey on the ground. Servals have good vision and hearing.

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