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Serval
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Leptailurus
Species: serval
Range & Habitat
Servals are found throughout the savannahs of Africa, almost always near water. They are not found in arid desert regions, tropical rainforests, or along the western tip of South Africa.
Reproduction & Growth
Little is known about the mating behavior of servals. During estrous, the male and the female will hunt and rest together for a period of several days. Gestation lasts between 65-75 days, and the female usually gives birth to about three young.
Diet - Carnivore
In the Wild: Primarily hares, mole rats, ground squirrels, vlei rats, quails, gueleas, frogs and flamingos
In the Zoo: Feline meat, chicken, horse meat, mice and chicks
General Information
Servals are solitary animals that mainly communicate through urine spraying and the spreading of saliva. They also communicate through vocalizations such as shrill cries, growls and purring. Servals catch their prey by leaping and landing on their victims with both front paws. They also have the ability to reach into deep holes or enter the water to catch prey. Once caught, they usually play with their prey before it is consumed. The are extremely successful hunters due to their ability to jump ten feet straight up and switch directions at very high speeds.
In the Zoo
Currently we have one female Serval that came to the Brandywine Zoo
as a rescue animal.
Click here to learn about Animal Care.
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