The Cat Serval

The Cat Serval is a slender, medium-sized cat that stands 54–62 cm (21–24 in) at the shoulder and weighs 9–18 kg. It is characterized by a small head, large ears, a golden-yellow to buff coat spotted and striped with black, and a short, black-tipped tail. The Cat Serval has the longest legs of any cat relative to its body size. For any one seeing it for the first time, a cat serval could easily be mistaken for a cheetah or a young leopard.

The Serval Cat are mainly found in savannahs, subalpine and montane mosaics of moorland, forests and glades. The serval is a carnivore that preys on rodents, particularly vlei rats, small birds, frogs, insects and reptiles, and also feeds on grass that can facilitate digestion or act as an emetic.

The Cat serval is active in the day as well as at night; activity might peak in early morning, around twilight and at midnight. Servals might be active for a longer time on cool or rainy days. During the hot midday, they rest or groom themselves in the shade of bushes and grasses. In Tanzania can be seen in Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park.

The serval is vulnerable to hyaenas and wild dogs. It will seek cover to escape their view, and, if the predator is very close, immediately flee in long leaps, changing its direction frequently and with the tail raised.

Both sexes become sexually mature when they are one to two years old. Oestrus in females lasts one to four days; it typically occurs once or twice a year, though it can occur three or four times a year if the mother loses her litters. Serval Cat can live up 10 years in wild.