Serval (Leptailurus serval)

Introduction

The serval (Leptailurus serval) is a species of caracal-lineage felid widespread across sub-Saharan Africa, but are less numerous in North Africa. There may be three subspecies of serval, with the South African serval (L. serval serval) being 145.5–174 cm, the East African serval (L. serval lipostictus) being 84–127 cm, and the West and Central African serval (L. serval constantini) being 108.7–119.7 cm in length.

Anatomy

Servals are very unusual, even by felid standards. They are medium-sized cats, achieving a maximum length of 174 centimetres (South African serval). Their anatomy is highly specialized for an ambush lifestyle.

A photograph of a serval (Leptailurus serval) reclining. Its rounded skull, large ears and (to some extent) elongated limbs can be seen.
Credit: Sheila Brown. CC0 Public Domain.

Servals have a suite of adaptations that allow them to detect their prey. Their ears, proportionally among the largest of the felids, allow the serval to fine-tune its hunting, finding out exactly where their prey is and even in which direction they are travelling. They also have a good sense of smell, though this has a lesser role in hunting. Servals also possess brown or greenish eyes, rimmed with black. This is also a trait of caracals and African golden cats, to which the serval is closely related (see Phylogeny).

Male servals are usually more robust than females, although both sexes are overall quite slender. The body is covered in yellowish-fawn fur, especially prominent in the South African serval. This is covered in scattered black spots and bars, which extend down the legs and tail. Between one and two large stripes extend from the shoulder up to the serval's neck. Cubs have much more lightly coloured fur and dark feet. The ears are the same colour as the rest of the body, with the exception of the back, which is black and has large white spots. These are found throughout the Felidae, and may aid in communicating with their young.

Servals have what are proportionally the longest limbs of any felid. This is largely due to the elongated metatarsal bones, and the elongated, unusually mobile toes. The long limbs of this species allow them to stalk for prey in long grass, an adaptation not shared by their larger relative, the caracal, or the African golden cat.

Behaviour

Servals possess a highly sensitive nose, shared with almost all other carnivorans. This allows servals to detect pheromones in each others' urine and saliva. This conveys information about the animal's age, sex, and in the case of females whether they are in oestrus. Servals are usually solitary, but on occasion, they have been known to move in pairs. They live in established home ranges, and individuals that have not mated tend to stay away from each other.

The mating season for servals is typically between November–April. The specifics vary between different populations, Servals have a gestation period of 67–79 days. They give birth to between 1–5 young, which are weaned at between 3–5 months of age. Servals achieve sexual maturity at between 15–26 months. The typical lifespan of servals in the wild is 13 years, but in captivity, they can live for up to 20 years.

Servals mainly feed on small rodents and hares, but have also been known to feed on birds, reptiles, amphibians and even domestic livestock. They have been recorded caching their food, and it seems that they commonly play with injured prey, a typical behaviour in cats. Servals locate prey using their hearing, their ears being powerful enough to detect rodents hidden underground. Upon locating its prey the serval can leap from up to 2.7 metres away to catch it. Another way that servals hunt, one that does not involve leaping, is simply by slapping prey with one forepaw.

Phylogeny

The serval is a member of an unnamed group of felids which includes caracals and African golden cats. Below is a phylogeny of the Felidae, based on the previously-mentioned papers.

A phylogenetic tree of the Feliformia, with the serval highlighted in bold. As per many phylogenies, the cheetah and puma form a monophyletic lineage far removed from other big cats.
Author's own work

Hybridization

In 1986, the first recorded hybrid between a serval and a domestic cat (Felis catus) was created. Judee Frank, a breeder of Bengal cats (Felis catus x Prionailurus bengalensis) crossbred a male serval with a female Siamese cat, producing the first savannah cat (so named after the first of these hybrids, which Frank called "Savannah".

A photograph of a savannah cat, a hybrid between a serval and a domestic cat.
Credit: Jean Beaufort. CC0 Public Domain.

Distribution

Servals are found throughout much of Africa. Differences between populations have led some authors to suggest different subspecies. A list of countries servals are native to is as follows:

• Angola
• Benin
• Botswana
• Cameroon
• Chad
• Congo
• Egypt
• Gabon
• Gambia
• Ghana
• Guinea
• Liberia
• Mali
• Malawi
• Mozambique
• Namibia
• Niger
• Senegal
• Somalia
• South Africa (primarily reintroduced)
• Sudan
• Swaziland
• Tanzania
• Togo
• Uganda
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

References

Castelló, JR; 2020 "Felids and Hyenas of the World: Wildcats, Panthers, Lynx, Pumas, Ocelots, Caracals and Relatives." Princeton Field Guides. 158–163.

Hunter, L; Bowland, J; 2013 "Leptailurus serval Serval." In Kingdon, J; Happold, D; Butynski, T; Hoffmann, M; Happold, M; Kalina, J (eds.) "Mammals of Africa." Bloomsbury Publishing. 180–184.

Johnson, WE; Eizirik, E; Pecon-Slattery, J; Murphy, WJ; Antunes, A; Teeling, E; O'Brien, SJ; 2006 "The late Miocene radiation of modern Felidae: a genetic assessment." Science. 311 (5757): 73–77.

Schütze, H; 2002 "Field Guide to the Mammals of the Kruger National Park." Struik Publishers. 98–99.

Stephens, PR; Grapiel, ME; Bogoni, LA; Giehl, ELH; Cerezer, FO; Cáceres, NC; Ezirik, E; 2019 "Melanism evolution in the cat family is influenced by intraspecific communication under low visibility." PLoS ONE. 14 (12).

Sunquist, M; Sunquist, F; 2002 "Serval Leptailurus serval (Schrever, 1776). Wild Cats of the World." University of Chicago Press. 142–151., 

Werdelin, L; Yamaguchi, N; Johnson, We; O'Brien, SJ; 2010 "Phylogeny and evolution of cats (Felidae)." In: Macdonald, DW; Loveridge, AJ (eds). "Biology and Conservation of Wild Felids (Reprinted edition)." Oxford Univeristy Press. 59–82.