Cats Wiki

Welcome to the Cats Wiki! Hope you enjoy learning and contributing here; but before you start doing that, please do read our Guidelines before you start providing constructive edits and to play it safe with the community.

Best wishes, The Cats Wiki Administrators.

READ MORE

Cats Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Strolling panther This article is a stub. You can help Cats Wiki by expanding it.
Serval
Serval
Leptailurus serval
(Schreber, 1776)
Information
Range

Sub-Saharan Africa

Scientific Classification
Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Carnivora

Family

Felidae

Subamily

Feline

Genus

Leptailurus
(Severtzov, 1858)

Species

L. serval

Conservation Status
(IUCN 3.1)
LCSpecies
Least Concern

The Serval (Leptailurus serval) is a wild cat native to Sub-Saharan Africa. Despite being a wild cat, servals are often kept as pets in North America and Europe, however a permit is needed. Savannahs are suggested as an alternative to servals.

Physical Features[]

Servals grow to 23 to 36 inches and have a yellow or brown (or, occasionally white) fur covered in spots that enlarge on or near the legs and tail. Their ears are black with a pair of white spots. Exact appearance can vary through the servals many subspecies.

Personality and Temperament[]

Servals are wild and will eat many animals they come across, they will also nip young children and are not lap cats, nor do they usually want to be petted. Servals will tend to bond to a certain person in their human family, and will not take being separated lightly.

History[]

Servals were worshiped by the Ancient Egyptians and sometimes kept as pets by high-ranking Egyptians (such as Scribes and Priests). They were associated with the cat god Bastet.

Recently some cat-owners have once again become interested in servals, and in 1986 this produced the Savannah cat breed.

view · talk · edit Cats Navigation
Felinology Cat AnatomyCat GeneticsCat Coat Genetics • (Bicolor CatBlack CatCalicoDeaf White CatTabby CatTortoiseshell) • Dwarf CatsKittenOdd-Eyed CatSquitten
Cat Health AnesthesiaCat Skin DisordersDeclawingDietFeline AcneFeline AsthmaFeline CalicivirusFeline Hepatic LipidosisFeline Hypertrophic CardiomyopathyFeline Immunodeficiency VirusFeline Infectious PeritonitisFeline Leukemia VirusFeline Lower Urinary Tract DiseaseFeline PanleukopeniaFeline Viral RhinotracheitisFeline VaccinationFleaHeartwormNeuteringPolydactyl CatRabiesRingwormSpayingRoundwormTickToxoplasmosis
Cat Behavior Cat Body LanguageCat FightCatnip (Nepeta Cataria)CommunicationKneading
IntelligenceCat Plays and ToysPuppy CatPurrRighting reflexSenses
Cat Supplies Cat FoodCat ToysCat TreeLitter BoxScratching Post
Human - Feline Interaction
Early Interactions Cats in Ancient EgyptCultural Depictions of CatsFarm CatFeral CatShip's Cat
Cat Registry Cat showAmerican Association of Cat EnthusiastsAmerican Cat Fanciers Association
Cat Aficionado AssociationCat Fanciers' AssociationFédération Internationale Féline
Governing Council of the Cat FancyThe International Cat Association
Canadian Cat Association
Breed Full list
Domestic AbyssinianAegean catAmerican BobtailAmerican CurlAmerican Shorthair
American WirehairArabian MauAustralian MistBalineseBambinoBritish Shorthair
BirmanBombayBurmeseCalifornia Spangled CatChartreuxColorpoint Shorthair
Cornish RexCymricCyprus catDevon RexDonskoyEgyptian MauExotic Shorthair
German RexHavana BrownHimalayanJapanese BobtailJavaneseKhao Manee
KinkalowKoratKurilian BobtailLaPermLykoiMaine CoonManxMunchkin
NebelungNeva MasqueradeNorwegian Forest CatOcicat
Oriental LonghairOriental ShorthairPersianPeterbaldPixie-bobRagdoll
RagamuffinRussian BlueScottish FoldSelkirk RexSiameseSiberian
SingapuraSokokeSnowshoeSomaliSphynxThaiTraditional Persian
TonkineseTurkish AngoraTurkish Van
Hybrid BengalChausieCheetohJungle CurlSavannahSerengeti
Wild Cats
Pantherinae Amur LeopardArabian LeopardBlack PantherClouded LeopardJaguarLeopardLionTiger
Felinae African Golden CatAfrican WildcatAndean Mountain CatAsiatic Golden CatBay Cat
Black-Footed CatBobcatCanada LynxCaracalCheetahChinese Desert CatCougar
Eurasian LynxEuropean WildcatFishing CatFlat-headed CatGeoffroy's Cat
Iberian LynxJaguarundiJungle CatLeopard CatKodkodMarbled CatMargay
OcelotOncillaPampas CatPallas CatRusty-spotted CatSand Cat
ServalSouthern TigrinaSunda Leopard Cat
CategoryPortal
Advertisement