Species: Leptailurus serval
Geographic Range: Northwest and sub-Sahara Africa
Size: Averages about 1 m (40 in.) long and 60 cm (2 ft.) tall at the shoulder.
Lifespan: Averages roughly 13 years
Conservation Status: Serval populations have declined but are not considered endangered.
Como’s serval’s name is Lily.
Find Lily in the Cat Building: Map
Fun Facts
- Servals have long, powerful legs that are important for jumping. They have been known to jump as high as 3.6 m (12 ft) to catch birds in mid air.
- The spotted coat is important in breaking up the pattern on their body. This is essential for stalking prey. It is a protective camouflage against larger carnivores that will kill and eat the small cats.
- Servals’ large ears act as radar dishes to locate food. These cats listen for the movement of animals in the grass before they pounce. It is believed that they use their ears as much as their eyes.
- Servals, unlike other small cats, are much more diurnal, or crepuscular, meaning they are active in early mornings and late evenings.
- Servals, like most cats, live a solitary existence. The only associations formed are during mating and between a mother and her kittens.
- Eats a wide variety of meat such as insects, rodents, birds, lizards; also will hunt small antelope and gazelle