 My first live glimpse of an African Serval was like
looking at a yellow spotted miniature pony with a
smaller head. Looking at another African
Serval it looked like a Cheetah with large ears!
I later learned that there is national distinction in
their colours. African Servals that dwell in damp
areas have finer markings.
Those that live
in warmer surroundings have a coat with large, bold
spots.
The African Serval (scientific name is
Laptailurus serval) is a medium built exotic wild cat
with:-
A small head, long neck, large tall ears set close together on top of
their heads white spots on the back of each ear
that draws your immediate attention to the Serval's
ears!
It elegantly carries a long slim body with a length that can range from 24
to 50 inches and that does not include its tailAverage shoulder height approximates 20 to 24
inches depending on the sex of the Serval.
Expertly created long pliable back legs with slightly shorter
front legs which enables them to jump high in the
air for their prey. A short thick ringed tail of around 12 to 18
inches.
Their general colouring carries rich black spots on a bright golden sandy
background.
Do bear in mind that the African Serval have a wide
range of sizes.The
most common African Serval's coat has a bright yellowish
brown/golden background, contrasted with large black
spots on its body and legs.
It also has
black stripes running from its head, down the neck
breaking up into spots as it reaches the Serval's body.
Servals are also white and all black. These Servals are not
seen very often.
Servals can weight from approximately 20-44 lbs.
What does the African Serval eat?
In a Serval's natural habitat, the food they eat depends
on their surroundings and what is available to them in
that environment. The Serval's food can range from
squirrels, rodents, insects, fish, frogs, chicks, hares
and surprisingly fruit and vegetables and plenty of water.
A Serval's long neck, large ears and long legs
comes in handy when hunting for their food. Their
long legs enables them to see over tall grasses and leap
into the air at great distances to catch birds for a
meal. A Serval's ears will distinguish prey that
burrows underground.
Servals are very intelligent
and can cunningly get the better of their prey.
After catching their prey, they will usually play with
it for some time before devouring it.
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