The Serval , Leptailurus serval, is a medium-sized African wild Cat.  Modern molecular DNA analysis indicates servals descend from the same felid ancestor as the lion. The serval maintains its own unique lineage, and appears to share common traits with the Cheetah,which may have descended from ancient servals. Similar DNA studies have shown the African Golden Cat and the Caracal are closely related to the Serval, and may have branched by cross-breeding.

The length is 85-112 cm (33-44 in), plus 30-50 cm (12-18 in) of tail, and the shoulder height is about 54-66 cm (21-26 in). Weight ranges from 9 to 16 kg (20-35 lbs) in females, and from 12 to 26 kg (26-57 lbs) in males. Life expectancy is about 12–16 years in the wild, and up to 20–25 years in captivity. It is a strong yet slender animal, with long legs and a fairly short tail. The head is small in relation to the body, and the tall, oval ears are set close together. The pattern of the fur is variable. Usually, the serval is boldly spotted black on tawny, with 2 or 4 stripes from the top of the head down the neck and back, transitioning into spots. The "servaline" form has much smaller, freckled spots. In addition, melanism is known to exist in this species, giving a similar appearance to the Black Panther. White servals are white with silvery grey spots and have only occurred in captivity.

Habitat

Its main habitat is the Savannah, although melanistic individuals are more usually found in mountainous areas. The Serval needs watercourses within its territory, so it does not live in semi-deserts or dry steppes. It is able to climb and swim, but seldom does so. It has now dwindled in numbers due to human population taking over its habitat and also hunting its pelt. It is protected in most countries. The Serval is listed in CITES Appendix 2, indicating that it is "not necessarily now threatened with extinction but that may become so unless trade is closely controlled.

Hunting and Diet

Although the serval is specialized for catching rodents, it is an opportunistic predator whose diet also includes birds, hares, Hyraxes, reptiles, insects, fish and frogs. The Serval has been observed taking larger animals, such as deer, Gazelle and Springbok, though over 90% of the serval's prey weighs less than 200 g (7 oz). The serval eats very quickly, sometimes too quickly, causing it to gag and regurgitate due to clogging in the throat. Small prey are devoured whole. With larger prey, small bones are consumed, but organs and intestines are avoided along with fur, feathers, beaks, feet or hooves. The Serval utilizes an effective plucking technique in which they repeatedly toss captured birds in the air while simultaneously thrashing their head from side-to-side, removing mouthfuls of feathers, which they discard.

As part of its adaptations for hunting in the savannas, the serval boasts long legs (the longest of all cats, relative to body size) for jumping, which also help it achieve a top speed of 80 km/h (50 mph), and large ears with acute hearing. The long legs and neck allow the serval to see over tall grasses, while its ears are used to detect prey, even those burrowing underground. The serval has been known to dig into burrows in search of underground prey, and to leap 3-5 m (9-16 ft) into the air to grab birds in flight. While hunting, the serval may pause for up to 15 minutes at a time to listen with eyes closed. The Serval's pounce is a distinctive and precise vertical 'hop', which may be an adaptation for capturing flushed birds. They are able to leap over 6 m (20 ft) horizontally from a stationary position, landing precisely on target with sufficient force to stun or kill their prey upon impact. The serval is an efficient killer, catching prey on an average of 50% of attempts (with a 67% success rate at night), compared to around one in ten attempts for most species of cat.

Servals are extremely intelligent, and demonstrate remarkable problem-solving ability, making them notorious for getting into mischief, as well as easily outwitting their prey, and eluding other predators. The serval will often play with its captured prey for several minutes, before consuming it. In most situations, servals will ferociously defend their food against attempted theft by others. Males can be more aggressive than females.


Domestication

Servals have historically been kept as pets in Africa. The Ancient Egyptians worshipped the serval as gods, and kept them as pets. More recently, they have been kept as pets in North America and Europe. Servals develop an intense emotional bond to their original owners. Often, they will choose one member of the human family they live with to form an especially close and intense bond. However, once they have bonded with a particular human family, servals do not easily accept new owners or surroundings, and they may become quite unhappy if separated or placed with other families. For this reason, anyone taking in a serval must be willing to house and keep the serval for its entire life. In the United States, owning a serval in most states requires special licensing from local, State, and Federal agencies.


Recently, servals have been bred with the Domestic Cat to create a hybrid breed of domestic cat called the Savannah. These animals tend to be smaller than the serval, but retain the markings and color of the serval. These animals are more tolerant of multiple owners, are more reliably litter trained, and tend to be more social with strangers. However, because the breeding can be difficult, the first generation (F1) animals tend to remain less common and quite expensive (as cat breeds go). Most states consider the product of a wild animal and a domestic cat to be a domestic cat, and therefore regulations for owning these animals tend to be similar to owning any domestic cat.












We currently do not breed Servals. If you are thinking about getting a Serval, please take the time to asses your situation. Ask yourself, do I have time for a Serval? Is it legal to own a Serval in my state? Do I have proper facilities to house a Serval? Do I have the money to feed a Serval and provide veterinary care? Do I have the time to train a Serval? Servals need lots of attention, you cant just put a Serval in a cage all day long with no human interaction and expect him to be social and tame. They need socialization, stimulation and love. They need to be fed a raw meat diet (Chicken, game fowl, turkey, fish, rabbit, mice/rats) fortified with vitamins and minerals. If you are feeding a whole prey diet (fur, bones and all) you do not need to supplement with vitamins and minerals.

Servals can live up to 20 years old or older in captivity. So before you decide on getting a Serval, remember that it is a long term commitment. If you decide you no longer want your Serval, you cant just take them to the Humane Society, they wont take a Serval. Most zoo's wont take one either. Servals usually bond to their owner, it is a very strong bond. Most of time they wont bond with anyone else. With that said, if you are sure a Serval is the right pet for you, vist www.exoticcatz.com and http://www.servals.org/home.htm for tons of great information about Servals and other wild cats. You can also join the Serval_and_Caracal_Advocate yahoo group. This is a great group. Lots of experienced Serval owners here.

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