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SERVAL
Felis Serval
 

THE SERVAL IS FOUND THROUGHOUT AFRICA EXCEPT IN THE DESERTS, BUT IT IS MOST COMMON IN CENTRAL AFRICA. OBSERVATIONS SUGGEST THAT ITS DISTRIBUTION IS GRADUALLY SHRINKING, ESPECIALLY IN NORTH AFRICA WHERE IT IS REGARDED AS ENDANGERED.

THE ADULT SERVAL WEIGHS BETWEEN 30 – 40 LBS, IT IS A GRACEFUL, ELEGANT ANIMAL WITH A SLENDER, AGILE BUILD, LONG LEGS, A SHORT TAIL AND LARGE EARS PRICKED ATTENTIVELY FORWARD.
 
Macchuie Serval Cat Photograph   Serval Cat Photo
 

UNIQUELY IN THE CAT FAMILY, THE FRONT LEGS ARE LONGER THAT THE HIND LEGS, GIVING IF A CHARACTERISTIC BOUNDING MOVEMENT IN THE CHASE. ITS COAT IS GENERALLY ORANGE-BROWN, SHADING TO WHITE ON THE UNDERPARTS, BUT SERVALS LIVING AT HIGHER ALTITUDES TEND TO HAVE PALER, YELLOWISH-BUFF COATS. THEIR LONG TAILS HAVE BLACK RINGS ON IT. NO TWO SERVALS ARE INDENTICAL, THEY ARE UNIQUELY IDENTIFIED BY THEIR MARKINGS.

THE SERVAL IS A SUPERB ATHLETE, IT IS SAID TO BE ABLE TO JUMP UP TO 10 FEET INTO A TREE.

IT IS SAID THAT SERVALS WERE USED BY THE ROMANS AS GUARD ANIMALS AS THEY WERE THE EASIEST OF THE WILD CATS TO TAME.

ALTHOUGH IN THE UNITED STATES THERE ARE MANY BREEDERS OF SERVALS THEY ARE NOT AS COMMON IN EUROPE AND ARE VERY RARE, IF NOT UNHEARD OF IN THE UK, APART FROM ZOOS, WILDLIFE PARKS AND PRIVATE COLLECTORS.

THE FIRST TIME A SERVAL WAS USED AS A MATE TO A DOMESTIC WAS IN THE VERY EARLY 1980’s , THE RESULTING KITTEN WAS CALLED ‘SAVANNAH’ AND SO A NEW BREED WAS CREATED. IT WASN’T UNTIL THE LATE 1990’s THAT T.I.C.A. ACCEPTED AND RECOGNISED THE SAVANNAH AS A LEGITIMATE BREED OF CAT.