Serval

Serval (Felis serval), a long-limbed cat belonging to the Felidae family that can be found in Africa south of the Sahara, particularly in grassy and bushy areas near water. The serval is a fast, agile cat that excels in climbing and leaping. It is a nocturnal predator that feeds on birds and small animals like mice and hares. The serval animal is a long-necked cat with a tiny head and huge, slightly cupped ears. The adult is 80–100 centimetres (32–40 inches) long, with a tail that adds another 20–30 cm. It stands about 50 cm tall and weighs about 15 kilos at the shoulder (33 pounds). The coat is normally long and whitish on the undersides and yellowish to reddish-brown on top, with black dots and stripes liberally spread, hence sometimes it is called black serval. On some individuals, known as servaline cats, these bold markings are replaced by smaller spots or specks, and they were once considered a separate species (Felis Brachyura or servalina). Some populations, particularly those from Kenya's highlands, have all-black individuals. The female serval usually has two to four kittens per litter, with a gestation period of 68 to 74 days called serval kittens.

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Serval Cat

The serval cat (Leptailurus serval) is an African wild cat. It is uncommon in North Africa and the Sahel, but common in Sub-Saharan Africa, except rainforest regions. It is found in protected areas throughout its range, and hunting is either outlawed or limited in range countries. It is the only member of the Leptailurus genus. The serval is a thin, medium-sized cat with a shoulder height of 54–62 cm (21–24 in) and a weight of 9–18 kg. A small head, huge ears, a golden-yellow to buff coat spotted and striped with black, and a short, black-tipped tail distinguish this breed. The serval animal have the longest legs about the body size of any cat. The serval is a solitary carnivore that feeds at all times of the day and night. It eats on rodents, particularly vlei rats, tiny birds, frogs, insects, and reptiles, and uses its hearing to track prey. It leaps over 2 meters above the ground, lands on its forefeet, and then bites the prey in the neck or head to kill it. 

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Feces and saliva are used to indicate substantially overlapping home ranges of 10 to 32 km (4 to 12 sq mi) for both genders. Mating occurs at various times of the year in various regions of their range, but often once or twice a year in a given area. A litter of one to four puppies is born after a two to three month gestation period. At one month, the kittens are weaned, and at six months, they begin hunting on their own. They leave their mother when they are about 12 months old.

Serval Classification and Evolution

The Serval is a medium-sized cat that can be found all over Sub-Saharan Africa, primarily in covered places near water. The Serval is one of the most unusual felines on the African continent, with its spotted hair and long limbs giving it the appearance of a miniature Cheetah. It is thought to be most closely related to the African Golden Cat and the Caracal. Serval animals have great senses of smell, sight, and hearing, allowing them to discover prey in the long grass and even underground. Their big, rounded ears can swivel independently, allowing them to pinpoint small animal serval nearby. Although the Serval is not considered to be in danger in the wild, they are being subjected to increasing levels of habitat loss, which has led to population declines in some areas, as well as being extensively hunted for their fur.

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Characteristics

The serval is a thin, medium-sized cat with a shoulder height of 54 to 62 cm (21–24 in) and a weight of 8 to 18 kg (18–40 lb), with females being lighter. The length of the head and body is usually between 67 and 100 cm (26–39 in). Males are typically stronger than females. The small head, huge ears, spotted and striped coat, long legs, and a black-tipped tail measuring roughly 30 cm (12 in) in length are all distinguishing features. Because of the substantially expanded metatarsal bones in the foot, the serval has the longest legs of any cat about its body size. The coat is primarily golden-yellow to buff in colour, with numerous black spots and stripes.

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The size of the dots varies greatly. Melanistic servals have also been observed. Brownish or greenish eyes, white whiskers on the snout and near the ears, ears as large as a domestic cat's (but small in comparison to the size of the head), hence sometimes it is called white serval. Black colour on the back with a white horizontal band in the middle, whitish chin, and spots and streaks on the cheeks and forehead are some of the facial characteristics. From the back of the head to the shoulders, three to four black stripes run, then break into rows of spots. The soft guard hairs (the covering of fur that protects the basal fur) on the white underbelly are 5–10 cm (2–4 in) long, and the white underbelly possesses dense and fluffy basal fur. Guard hairs on the neck, back, and flanks are up to 3 cm (1+14) long, but just 1 cm (12 in) long on the face. The tightly set ears are black on the rear with a horizontal white stripe, and they can swivel independently up to 180 degrees. The serval has excellent hearing, vision, and smell. The sympatric caracal is similar to the serval, but it has a narrower spoor, a rounder skull, and no prominent ear tufts.

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The African golden cat is darker and has different cranial traits than the European golden cat. In terms of form and coat pattern, it is similar to a cheetah, but not in size. The serval and the jungle cat have similar adaptations to their marshy habitat types: both cats have large, acute ears that aid in locating prey, and their long legs raise them above muddy ground and water. In captivity, both leucistic and melanistic servals have been observed. Moreover, the melanistic variety has been found in the wild, but these occurrences are rare.

Serval Distribution and Habitat

Historically, the Serval could be found throughout Africa, but it is now mostly restricted to locations south of the Sahara. Although a few small populations exist in the north, they are estimated to number approximately 250 mature individuals and are regarded as severely endangered locally. The Serval has a large range in central and southern Africa, where it is most usually found in reed beds and rushes that border wetlands, as well as grasslands with good sources of water. Although wetlands are preferred, Servals are versatile animals that can be found in a variety of habitats throughout their home area, including forest, bamboo thickets, marshes, and along streams, as long as there is enough food and water.

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Reproduction

When they are one to two years old, both sexes are sexually mature. Oestrus lasts one to four days in females and happens once or twice a year, though it can occur three or four times if the mother loses her litter. When a female enters oestrus, the rate of urine-marking increases in both her and the males in her area, according to captive serval observations. In his 1997 book East African Mammals, zoologist Jonathan Kingdon detailed the behaviour of a female serval in oestrus. 

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He observed her roaming restlessly, spraying urine regularly while holding her vibrating tail vertically, drooling continuously, letting out shrill and short "miaow"s that could be heard for a long distance, and brushing her mouth and cheeks against the face of an approaching male. Mating takes place at different times depending on where you are in Botswana, it's during the winter, while in the Ngorongoro Crater, it's near the end of the dry season. Births of murid rodents tend to occur before the breeding season, which has been seen across the range. 

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Serval Behaviour and Lifestyle

The Serval is a solitary mammal that lives a crepuscular lifestyle, which means it is most active early in the morning and late in the evening. Servals are fiercely territorial creatures with a home area of 12 to 20 square kilometres that is identified by scents like urine and scratch marks on trees and the ground. A male Serval's range, like that of many other feline species around the world, overlaps that of as many females as possible with whom he can mate (females do not share parts of their territories with other females). Servals are very adaptive animals that can not only climb trees to get away from danger but will also cheerfully wade into the water to get their prey, which they do by powerfully pouncing on their victim and seizing it with their front paws, unlike many cats.

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Serval Diet and Prey

To survive, the Serval is a carnivorous animal that hunts and eats small animals. Servals hunt rats and other small rodents, as well as fish and frogs in the water, huge insects, and tiny birds, which they may catch both on the ground and in the air. Servals either sniff the air or wait and listen discreetly with their big ears to discover their prey. When they are discovered, they lower their bodies to the ground and cautiously approach it, a technique known as stalking. 

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The Serval pounces on its target once it is close enough, grabbing it with its front paws. Servals have strong, powerful rear legs that allow them to leap up to four metres horizontally and more than a metre into the air. Although they rarely attack cattle, they have been known to take chickens near habitation and can sometimes attack dogs.

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Serval Predators and Threats

Servals have no natural predators in their native environments due to their relatively large size and sneaky behaviour, with leopards and hyenas being the greatest threat. People who are known to murder Servals for their fur, which is greatly sought after, are the greatest threat to Servals throughout Africa. This is especially true among tribes in West Africa. They're also threatened by habitat degradation in a variety of regions across their natural range, and they're at risk of being shot by farmers who are scared for their livestock.

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Serval Interesting Facts and Features

Servals consume a range of food, but tiny rodents like rats, mice, and shrews make up roughly 94 per cent of their diet, which implies they play an important role in reducing rodent populations in their local ecosystems. The Serval's huge dish-like ears allow it to feel the vibrations of rodents even underground, and once identified, it would dig its meal out with its sharp claws. The size and arrangement of the spots and stripes vary from individual to individual, although Servals located in grassland habitats have larger black spots than those found in more forested regions to ensure they fit in with their surroundings. Female Servals have been reported to alter their habits to accommodate the fact that they are young and must obtain food more frequently than usual.

The serval kittens, however, wait impatiently for their mother in the den until they are mature enough to accompany her on her hunting trips. They frequently try to follow their mother, who must divert them before leaving to hunt.

Serval Relationship With Humans

Servals used to be widespread throughout Africa, but they are now extinct in the south and many parts of the north, owing to pelt hunting. They've also been captured and marketed as exotic serval pets, and cross-bred with domestic cats to generate smaller but similar-looking felines. Servals thrive in places distant from human populations, but if this isn't possible, they've been observed to adapt their habits, such as hunting at night rather than at dawn or dusk, to reduce disturbance. Although they are not known to attack livestock, they are frequently persecuted by farmers who fear for the safety of their domestic animals, resulting in population decreases in some places.

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Serval (Felis serval) is a fast, agile cat that excels in climbing and leaping. It is a nocturnal predator that feeds on birds and small animals like mice and hares. The Serval is a medium-sized cat that can be found all over Sub-Saharan Africa. Its spotted hair and long limbs give it the appearance of a miniature Cheetah. It is thought to be most closely related to the African Golden Cat and the Caracal.