Serval
- The serval has the longest legs and largest ears (relative to body size) of all cats.
- A strict "no," reinforced by a water pistol shot, quickly develops a reflex in the serval.
- Servals are very efficient hunters; on average, 59 % of their attacks result in capturing prey.
Age
Servals typically live for 12 to 18 years, with a maximum lifespan of 22 years and 5 months, and a theoretical lifespan ranging from 11 years and 3 months to 22 years and 5 months. The species reaches sexual maturity between 1 year and 8 months and 2 years and 10 months of age. A serval’s eyes open between 1 and 2 weeks after birth, and the young begin walking between 2 weeks and 4 days and 4 weeks of age. During the embryonic stage, the fetus develops inside the mother, receiving nourishment from her without eating independently. The kitten, or young, is born with closed eyes and is entirely dependent on the mother, who feeds it milk and provides protection. An adult serval can hunt independently and produce offspring, and this adult stage lasts from 1 to 20 years.
Phenotype
The serval has soft fur with spots, which helps the young hide in grass; the young also possess large ears, but their hearing is still poor. Adult servals have thick fur with black spots and stripes, and this coloration aids in camouflage within grass. The species has very large ears with excellent hearing, allowing them to locate prey even underground. Long and strong legs enable the adult to jump high and view over tall grass. A short tail with black rings is used for balance during jumps. Servals have two ears and one tail.
Physiology
Servals measure from 17.8 centimeters to 3.5 meters in height, and from 85 centimeters to 1.1 meters in length; their mass ranges from 17.23 to 18.04 kilograms. During the embryonic stage, the species has a body mass of from 1 to 120 grams and a body length of from 1 millimeter to 1.5 centimeters. The young have a body mass of from 200 grams to 2.5 kilograms and a body length of from 15 to 35 centimeters. Adult servals weigh from 9 to 13 kilograms and measure from 85 centimeters to 1 meter in length.
Habitat
Servals inhabit terrestrial landscapes including grasslands, steppes, shrublands, and herbaceous areas; the species’ elevation ranges up to 2.5 kilometers above sea level. They are found in tropical savannas characterized by heat, uneven rainfall, abundant grasses, and trees, as well as temperate steppes with plentiful grasses and few trees where rainfall occurs. The climate varies across their range, including hot steppes with very hot, dry summers and abundant grasses, extremely arid regions with infrequent rainfall, winters with little precipitation and more rain in summer, hot conditions with summer rains and sparse winter precipitation, and consistently hot conditions throughout the year with frequent rains but occasional dryness.
Shelter
Servals are found in tall grasses or abandoned burrows; the species utilizes a dug underground tunnel or chamber for shelter or nesting. The shelter serves multiple purposes, including reproduction, rest, and protection from the sun. Servals use burrows as dens.
Geography
Servals are found within the Afrotropical realm, inhabiting Southern thorny scrublands and Acacia-Commiphora woodlands, as well as the West Congo forest-savanna ecosystems.
Feeding
The serval is a predator and employs an active hunting strategy, primarily feeding on small rodents, birds, frogs, lizards, and large insects, occasionally consuming beetles, butterflies, flies, wasps, bedbugs, grasshoppers, dragonflies, mayflies, and lacewings. The species hunts during the day or twilight hours, using its excellent hearing to locate prey in the grass before capturing it with a long jump; this hunting method involves tracking by sound and a leaping capture. The diet of young servals consists of milk. An adult’s daily food requirement ranges from 300 grams to 0.6 kilograms. In some cultures, the animal is consumed, but it is not considered halal or kosher.
Reproduction
Serval is a terrestrial species, developing outside of water bodies, reproducing through viviparity, with offspring born live on land, not hatching from eggs or spawn; the female carries the young for approximately 70 days and gives birth to them in a secluded location, usually from two to four kittens, in a ground nest located directly on the surface of the ground; embryonic development takes 2 months 1 week, and the litter size is 1–5; only the mother exhibits parental care for the offspring, feeding and teaching them to hunt until they reach an age of six-eight months; sexual maturity occurs at an age from 1 year 6 months to 2 years, and the reproductive interval is from 6 months to 1 year 1 month; reproduction always occurs through homogamy with fertilization, without a change of generations.