|
 |
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
Serval - FELlS SERVAL
Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
The Name "Serval": "Serval" comes from the Latin word "cervus," meaning "deer."
Location: Africa south of the Sahara, except forested areas and possibly in parts of northern Africa.
Habitat: Open savanna; common in wetlands on the edges of swamps and by the shores of lakes.
Description: The serval’s legs are long and the head is small in proportion to the rest of the body. The ears are large, oval and vertical. The color of the coat and the distribution of the dark markings and stripes differ in various areas: in the eastern part of its range it often has stripes on the shoulders and back, and it has numerous small markings which give a speckled appearance. This cat grows just over three feet long, with another 18 inches for the tail. It can weigh up to 40 pounds.
Behavior: This nocturnal cat hunts rodents, lizards, and amphibians on the ground, but it can also climb trees where it preys on birds. It is a solitary animal and only forms pairs during the courtship and mating period.
Reproduction: After about 75 days of gestation, the female gives birth to two to four young in the old den or burrow of some other animal, which the female modifies to her needs.
Note: The serval also adapts well to living near places inhabited by humans, and quickly learns how to make the most of farmyards and poultry runs. Because of this, and also because of the value of the spotted coat, the serval is hunted a great deal by man and its numbers are dropping dramatically.
Go to the Carnivore Page to learn more about all the meat-eating animals.
Or go to the Cat Index to study other
wild cats.
From Address Labels to Zoo Toys... All Creatures Great and Small You'll Find It at the America Zoo Gift Shop Realistic Stuffed Animals & Animal Figurines Wildlife Decor for Your Home Animal Books, Magazines, and Educational Materials A Wide Variety of Wildlife Gifts & Apparel and Much, Much More  ↓ For Your Favorite Little Animal Lover ↓
Home Animal Research Library About AmericaZoo
|
