Serval

Leptailurus serval

• Distribution:
  Seen throughout sub-Saharan Africa
• Habitat:
  Well-watered grasslands
• Diet:
  Mainly hares, ground squirrels, hyraxes and mole rats, but also frogs, snakes and insects
• Gestation:
  70 days, two to four kittens are born per litter
• Longetivity:
  20 years in captivity
• Predators:
  Leopard, spotted hyena, and cape hunting dog
• Conservation status:
   
  Least concern
• General:

  Servals have the largest ears and longest legs of any cat in proportion to body size. Their long legs give them exceptional jumping ability and a top speed of 80km/h.

  They are nocturnal, so they hunt mostly at night. The serval can leap forward over six metres from a stationary position, landing precisely on target with sufficient force to stun or kills its prey on impact. With their acute hearing they can even detect prey burrowing underground.

  Although notoriously mischievous, their high intelligence and remarkable problem-solving ability enable them to elude predators and easily outwit their prey.

  The serval is typically a solitary species with pairs only coming together for a few days when the female is in heat.

  They have a variety of vocalisations, including a high-pitched cry used to call other servals; snarl, growl and spit when angry.

  Although Africa’s serval population remains relatively widespread and abundant, habitat degradation and hunting for their pelts are responsible for a decline in overall numbers. Of primary concern is the loss of wetland habitat which supports the high densities of rodents on which servals depend. Compounding wetland degradation is overgrazing and burning of grasslands, which similarly reduce the abundance of small mammals.