Amazing Wild Animals: Serval

Servals are cool looking cats. They have a long neck, long legs, and big ears. They have black spots on a tan coat, with some stripes from it's head along it's back. They have a small head and their ears are close together. It is a medium sized cat, and weighs 15 to 40 pounds.

Servals live in Africa, south of the Sahara desert. It can live for 12 to 15 years in the wild. They like to live near water and in tall grass. Like most cats, servals are solitary. They are some melanistic servals, (black servals) and only a couple white servals.

Servals are very successful hunters. Their long legs help them see over the tall grass, and their spots provide great camouflage. They also have very good hearing due to their big ears. A serval's top speed is 50 miles per hour, and can jump 12 feet up into the air. All these abilities let the several become a fantastic hunter. They are nocturnal and will hunt at night. Servals prey on small rodents, birds, fish, frogs, and occasionally a deer or gazelle.

Servals will have 1 to 4 kittens in a litter. They will stay with their mother for about a year then go off on their own. Servals are considered "least concern" and their population is healthy and stable. Though they still are being poached for their coats.