Serval Cats 101 : Fun Facts & Myths

n today's video, we are going to talk about some interesting facts and myths about the Serval Cat. Servals are medium-sized wild cats with tawny, black-spotted coats and long necks and long legs that allow them to see over savanna grasses. They also have large ears and an acute sense of hearing. The serval cat is a beautiful animal that some people keep as an exotic pet. While you may be able to acquire a serval cat from a breeder, they are considered wild cats. To own a serval cat, you must create a large, secure outdoor enclosure and provide a warm environment year-round. They will need to feed on whole prey food items and require veterinary care from an experienced exotics vet. Here are some of the interesting facts about the Serval Cat, which will give you some further insight into its characteristics and temperament. 1. Serval Cat's Size and Appearance. Often referred to as the cat of spare parts, this unusual, but the beautiful cat is among the feline family’s most successful. It has a small, delicate head and extremely large ears set on an elongated neck, long slim legs, hind legs longer than the front, a long slender body, and a short tail. The ears are black on the back with a distinctive white spot, and the tail has 6 or 7 black rings and a black tip. The coat color is pale yellow with black markings, either of large spots that tend to merge into longitudinal stripes on the neck and back, or of numerous small spots, which give a speckled appearance. These "speckled" Servals from West Africa used to be considered a separate species of Felis Brachyura until it was demonstrated that the speckled pattern was just a "morph". 2. Serval Cat's Behaviour. They are solitary animals. The serval is active in the day as well as at night; activity might peak in the early morning, around twilight, and at midnight. Servals might be active for a longer time on cool or rainy days. During the hot midday, they rest or groom themselves in the shade of bushes and grasses. Servals remain cautious of their vicinity. Servals walk as much as 2 to 4 kilometers every night. Servals will often use special trails to reach certain hunting areas. A solitary animal, there is little social interaction among servals except in the mating season. The only long-lasting bond appears to be of the mother and her cubs, which leave their mother only when they are a year old. The female defends home ranges of 9.5 to 19.8 square kilometers, depending on local prey availability. The male defends larger territories of 11.6 to 31.5 square