Serval
Scientific name: Leptailurus serval
IUCN listed as: Least Concern
Learn before you visit!
Here are some facts about the species – Discover what they eat, find out about their natural habitat, see what they like to do, and more… Set the reading style to suit you too, everyday speak or something aimed towards children.
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Everyday
Diet
Servals primarily hunt small mammals, birds, frogs, insects, and reptiles. They are adept hunters, using their long legs to leap over two metres into the air to catch prey. They rely on their excellent hearing, facilitated by large, rotating ears, to locate hidden prey. This varied diet ensures they get all necessary nutrients. Servals typically hunt alone, using stealth and surprise to capture their food.
Servals eat small animals like mice, birds, frogs, and insects. They can jump really high to catch their food. Their big ears help them hear hidden prey. They hunt alone and use their sneaky skills to catch food.
Breeding
Breeding can occur year-round, but peak seasons are often tied to local rainfall patterns. Female servals give birth to 1-4 kittens after a gestation period of about 74 days. The mother raises the kittens alone, hiding them in dense vegetation to protect them from predators. Kittens are weaned at around six months and become independent at about one year old. This rearing strategy helps ensure the survival of the young.
Servals can have babies any time of the year. The mother has 1-4 kittens after being pregnant for about 2.5 months. She hides them in thick bushes to keep them safe. The kittens learn to hunt by one year old.
Habitat
Servals are found across sub-Saharan Africa in savannas, wetlands, and grasslands. They prefer areas with tall grasses and plenty of cover, which provide excellent hunting grounds and protection. These habitats are vital for their survival, offering abundant food sources. Habitat destruction and fragmentation are significant threats to their populations. Conservation efforts focus on preserving these environments to ensure servals can continue to thrive.
Servals live in Africa in places like savannas and grasslands. They like areas with tall grass to hide and hunt. These places give them lots of food. Protecting their homes is important to keep them safe.
At the zoo
In zoos, servals are provided with large enclosures that mimic their natural habitats, including tall grasses and places to climb. They are fed a diet similar to what they would eat in the wild, including small mammals and birds. Zoos play a crucial role in serval conservation by educating the public and supporting breeding programs. These programs help maintain genetic diversity and ensure a healthy population. Observing servals in zoos helps people appreciate their unique behaviours and the need for conservation.
In zoos, servals live in large spaces with tall grass and places to climb. They eat food like mice and birds. Zoos help protect servals by teaching people about them and breeding them. Watching them in zoos shows why it’s important to save them.
Behaviour
Servals are solitary and primarily nocturnal, being most active during the early morning and late afternoon. They use a variety of vocalisations to communicate, including purrs, growls, and hisses. Their long legs and large ears are adaptations for hunting in tall grasses. Servals are excellent swimmers and climbers, which helps them escape predators and find food. Their behaviour is highly adapted to their environment, making them efficient hunters.
Servals are active alone and at night. They make sounds like purrs and growls to talk. Their long legs and big ears help them hunt. They can swim and climb well to escape danger and find food.
Fun facts
- High Jumpers: Servals can leap over two metres to catch prey.
- Excellent Hearing: Their large ears can rotate 180 degrees to locate prey.
- Solitary Nature: They prefer to live and hunt alone.
- Long Legs: Their legs are the longest of any cat relative to body size.
- Versatile Hunters: They hunt on the ground and in trees.
- Great Jumpers: Servals can jump really high to catch food.
- Big Ears: Their ears can turn all the way around to hear prey.
- Live Alone: They like to be alone most of the time.
- Long Legs: They have the longest legs of any cat.
- Clever Hunters: They hunt on the ground and in trees.
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