Serval

Leptailurus Serval

The Serval is also known as a "Bush cat".

There were over 400 servals killed for hunting trophies between 2010-2014 (By clicking the picture above you will be redirected to a page that shows the hunting trophies of servals from 2010 - 2014).

The serval’s sensitive hearing allows it to locate small mammals moving through the grass or underground, and to hunt its prey sometimes without seeing it until the final pounce. It also has the ability to leap vertically and catch prey such as birds, right out of the air. They do this by “clapping” with their front paws together and striking with a downward blow. Primary prey items for the serval includes rodents, birds, reptiles, fish, frogs and insects.

Unlike the cheetah, servals do not use their long legs for speedy chases. Instead, the legs lift them up on miniature stilts. They are used in the long grass or reeds as the Serval moves along in a series of high antelope-like leaps, from 3.28 to 13.123 feet in length and up to 6.56 feet high. Small animals that break cover are immediately pounced upon. Like the caracal that shares much of their range, Servals use vertical leaps to catch birds and insects in the air, using either a ‘clapping’ of the front paws or a downward blow with one or both paws. At night or in dense grass, they rely on sound alone to pinpoint the target. For this, their large ears are especially useful.

Serval’s have a high success rate for hunting, about 40% during the day and 60% at night.

After a gestation of approximately 73 days, females produce a litter of 1-5 kittens, with 2 being the average.

At birth the newborns weigh approximately 8.5-9 ounces at birth, and are born in an old burrow, rock crevice, or under a thicket. It will take 9-12 days until their eyes open, they begin to take solid foods around the age of 3 weeks, and are independent between 6-8 months.

The primary threat for this cat are leopards, dogs, and man. Because of their beautiful coat, they are a prime target for poachers. Their skins are sold as young leopards or cheetahs, which are much scarcer.. There is also the issue of preserving the land that makes up their homeland, which is destroyed by human encroachment or from annual burning of grasslands. Some tribes hunt and kill the Serval for their flesh, which is considered a delicacy.

Both genders mark and hold their territories. Home ranges overlap considerably, and males mark their territory very frequently, spraying up to 46 times per hour or 25.47 times per squared miles. Females mark about half as frequently. Density in the optimum habitat of the Ngorongoro Crater was estimated at 41 Servals per 62.13 miles squared.

The servals habitat is in well-watered savannah long-grass environments, and are associated with reed beds and other riparian vegetation types. They occupy a variety of habitats all associated with water sources, they range up into alpine grasslands and can penetrate deep dense forests along waterways and through grassy patches, but are absent from rain forests. They will make use of arid areas in extreme instances, and have occasionally done so in parts of south-western Africa.