CC BY 4.0 · datadan · source
Quick Facts
- Type
- Mammal
- Size
- 67–100 cm body length
- Weight
- 8–18 kg
- Habitat
- Tall-grass savanna and wetland margins near water in sub-Saharan Africa
- Diet
- Carnivore — rodents, birds, frogs, insects, and small mammals
- Active Time
- Crepuscular and nocturnal
- Lifespan
- 10–12 years in the wild, up to 20 years in captivity
Field Notes
- Servals have the highest hunting success rate of any wild cat, succeeding in more than 50% of all hunting attempts.
- Their enormous ears can rotate independently, allowing them to pinpoint rustling prey beneath grass before they even see it.
- Servals can leap 2 m straight up to bat birds out of the air, and their pounce drops their front paws like hammers onto prey.
About the Serval
The serval is a medium-sized African wild cat famous for its extraordinarily long legs and enormous ears. Its oversized ears can rotate independently to pinpoint the exact location of prey hidden in tall grass before pouncing. It can leap 2 m vertically to catch birds in flight and uses a rapid bat-like slap to strike prey in burrows. Servals have the highest hunting success rate of any cat — over 50% of attacks succeed, compared to about 20% for lions. They live in tall-grass savannas near water across sub-Saharan Africa.
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