What is a serval? Serval (photo): Graceful cat with the longest legs. Personality of Serval cats

Serval (bush cat) - a solitary hunter at night, a threat to small rodents. It is closely genetically related to lynxes; its color is more reminiscent of a cheetah or panther (black Kenyan serval) . Attractive as a commercial object for people and hunting for large predators. Despite everything, it has a stable population in nature and is not going to disappear.

Natural habitat is the edges of damp tropical jungles and dry steppes of the African continent. The serval cat cannot exist without open water sources and, as a rule, settles next to them.

Description of the breed and appearance

The description of the breed has not yet been completely standardized. Species characteristics are determined by nature itself.

Wild servals are distinguished by coat color, size and are divided into 14 subspecies (they live in different regions of Africa). Geographic races are prone to mimicry and this affects the color scheme, intensity of skin pigmentation, weight category and paw length.

• Servals are tall, long-legged cats with large ears and brightly variegated colors. The characteristic features of the anatomical structure allow them to survive in difficult climatic conditions, move quickly, jump high and far, and find prey in thick grass by hearing its slightest rustle.
• The animals have a relatively small head compared to the body, disproportionately large ears, almond-shaped eyes, a wide nose, and pronounced mustaches sticking out in different directions.
• The body length does not exceed a meter, the hind legs are longer than the front ones.
• The tail is thin and not very long (20 – 45 cm).
• Maximum weight up to 18 kg.
• The body is covered with thick, shiny, short, soft-to-the-touch fur.
• The main color of the coat is yellowish-gray, the variegation is created by dark stripes and inclusions. The paws, chest and lower part of the muzzle are white. The ears have white or black stripes at the back.

Steppe individuals are distinguished by their light color with large dark markings. Forest cats are smaller, squat, dark with small spots. The coat of the serval, living in the mountainous regions of Kenya, is colored black.

Diet of wild serval

The wild bush cat prefers to dine on animals weighing no more than 150 - 200 grams, and does not refuse snakes, insects, frogs, hares, birds, and lizards. It “listens” to its prey, freezing in the sphinx pose for up to a quarter of an hour. In the process of searching for food, the serval shows miracles of ingenuity and rare agility: it climbs trees, tears open rodent burrows, and makes incredible somersaults, overtaking birds and insects.

Features of behavior, reproduction and care of cubs

Servals choose solitude, mark their controlled territory with urine, rarely enter into conflicts with their fellow creatures, and hunt at dusk. The male's domain is limited to 30 km2; the Serval cat occupies a living space of 20 km2. The mating process occurs on occasion and is not limited by time.

Pregnancy proceeds quickly: 2 – 2.5 months. Blind and helpless serval kittens are born in abandoned African aardvark burrows or grass nests pre-arranged by their mother, gain sight by two weeks of life and are initially fed with mother's milk. At five months, the mother takes them hunting with her. When kittens reach one year of age, they begin to live independently.

The serval wild cat does not attack humans and never attacks first. In a moment of danger, it hisses or simply retreats; it goes into attack only in case of protecting its own offspring.

Character

Professional breeders have noticed that the African Serval cat is perfectly tamed, learns commands, does not show aggression towards humans, and is quite unpretentious in keeping. Breeding the breed requires special skills, enormous patience, significant material investments, and special conditions.

The Serval breed is distinguished by its intelligence, “active lifestyle”, and friendliness towards other pets. Its behavior is more reminiscent of a dog.

An adult serval can be tamed, but it is not suitable for keeping at home. Servals , taken from a nursery in infancy, they quickly get used to people and become affectionate, loyal, devoted friends.

For a small serval (at home), the attention, understanding, and tender attitude of all family members are very important. An animal must be loved and nurtured, otherwise it may grow into an uncontrollable monster.. The playful nature, irrepressible energy and increased jumping ability make servals conquer any “home heights”.

Pets are curious, sociable, prefer friendly company to loneliness, play active games together, and reliably guard their territory. They quickly get used to the house, get used to its inhabitants, showing affection, gently purring and rubbing their heads against the owner. The Serval easily gets along with other pets, but avoids guests.

• Albino servals are quite a rare phenomenon. Only four white individuals are known to have been born in captivity; no such cases have been observed in the wild.
• The Serval cat breed has increased jumping ability: upward jumps reach three meters, in length - up to 3.6 m.
• The animal returns with prey in 50% of cases and is considered one of the most effective hunters.
• The Serval can reach speeds of up to 80 km/h.
• Domestic, unusually intelligent, one of the most expensive breeds in the world - the result of crossing a Siamese cat and a male serval.

Health

The optimal age for purchasing a kitten is 5 months. By this time, he manages to get stronger, learn all the necessary skills and, thanks to breastfeeding, acquires strong immunity. In the future, servals must be vaccinated using exclusively non-live vaccines.

The long and thin limbs of small pets are very fragile, cannot withstand heavy loads and are easily injured. Their activity should be somewhat limited and they should not be allowed to frequently jump from high surfaces.

“Stool” deserves special attention: it should be regular, formed, 1 – 2 times a day. Liquid bowel movements several times a day or more lead not only to rapid dehydration, but also to very sad consequences. If serious symptoms appear, you should immediately seek help from a veterinarian.

Young animals are castrated and sterilized: males at 7-8 months, females at 12 months. Life expectancy in captivity is 15 - 20 years. Wild servals live up to 10 years in the wild.

Servals love space and freedom. The ideal option for a comfortable existence is living quarters with a large area (country cottages, luxury real estate).

It is recommended to accustom servals to yourself gradually, starting with hand feeding, playing on the floor and affectionate treatment; commands should be demanded calmly and confidently. It is unacceptable to shout at an animal, much less hit it.

Feeding

The diet includes offal and animal meat. Preference is given to raw quail and chicken meat. The daily food intake is 500 g. Vitamin preparations with calcium are added to the menu. Dry food is used to a limited extent.

Where to buy a serval kitten?

You can buy a beautiful, healthy serval kitten with a good pedigree and official documents only in a specialized nursery. The establishment bears full responsibility for its charges, competently selects pairs of sires, provides preventive vaccinations for kittens, and gives recommendations on care and feeding.

The price depends on the generation, the intensity of the coat color, the pedigree of the ancestors and starts from $4,000.

Exotic color, stately posture, African grace and impressive cost make this breed a symbol of high status, business image and prestige of the owners.

Servals are amazing creatures. Their spectacular color, reminiscent of the skin of a cheetah, the lightness and grace of their gait, which is striking for the large size of the animal, their proportional graceful physique and proud appearance, captivate the soul at first sight.

Nature created servals as predators. Their hunting grounds are expanses of the sultry African savannah. Hiding in dense thickets located near reservoirs, cats bearing the name serval lie in wait for small game: hares, birds, rodents, snakes, lizards, frogs, insects, small antelopes.

Most often they do this after sunset or in the pre-dawn hours, preferring to sleep peacefully during the day. It is because of their hunting habits that the animals received their second name - bush cats.

History of the breed

Freedom-loving servals have long lived in East Africa. They were widespread on the plateaus of Tanzania, where up to 40 subspecies of these “little brothers” of the cheetah could be found per 100 km², some of which are listed in the Red Book. Due to their original color and high quality wool, they often became victims of poachers, which greatly reduced their population.

Man admired the wild beauty of the servals and tamed these animals. Today they live in houses and apartments all over the world. Representatives of this unusual breed are highly valued, being a kind of cat elite. Such a pet emphasizes the authority and significant position of its owner.

They appeared in Russia not so long ago, but quickly won the hearts of breeders. At home, cats of the Serval breed are not much reminiscent of their predatory relatives in character. These are cute pets who love affection.

Nature has made the fur of servals yellowish, randomly scattering dark stains, stripes and spots throughout it, the shape and size of which can be very diverse. Today this cat breed is represented by 14 species. Its fully domesticated representatives look the most original and interesting.

Enthusiastic breeders have done a lot of work to produce animals with white fur covered with spots of silver. But experts prefer cats with the pristine beauty of the breed; such servals are as close as possible to their wild ancestors.

Appearance Features

A serval kitten is a cute baby, but over time it will grow into a large animal. Adult representatives of the breed weigh up to 18 kg, and the length of their well-built muscular body reaches 1 m. The height of bush cats reaches 60 cm. This allows them to see prey among the tall grass.

The paws of these giants are graceful and very thin. The front ones are noticeably shorter than the rear ones. They hold the record among cats for the length of their limbs relative to their body size. But this structural feature, combined with significant weight, does not help serval cats chase prey for a long time. They are masters of tracking, mastering the element of surprise. The tail of animals is short, within 25-40 cm, but thick.

The head is medium in size and sits on a long neck. Another distinctive feature of the breed is its large, high-set ears, which allow servals to hear prey located at a considerable distance from them. On the inside they are densely covered with long light hairs, and on the outside they are covered with black and white stripes. The nose is noticeably prominent, massive, wide.

Servals are distinguished by an interesting eye shape: they are almond-shaped below, and the upper eyelid resembles a boomerang. The look is stern, hunting. Light colored eyes. The whisker pads are noticeable, and they themselves are long and have a dense structure.

African Serval cat 🐆

It is not possible to have a cheetah in the house, but it is quite possible to have a cat that looks very similar to him. Hot tropical blood, grace, grace, stealth and strength: serval cat It is a rarity in the house and therefore very valuable.

Not everyone knows about the existence of such a predator, but having seen it once, they cannot forget those attentive, wary eyes and flexible, strong body.

The animal is also called the bush cat due to its habitat preference - these predators do not like open spaces.

This beautiful animal holds the record among cats for the length of its paws relative to its body, has a memorable character and a chic appearance. Therefore, you should not miss the chance to get to know this graceful child of Africa better.

Description of Serval cats

The characteristics of Serval cats allow us to pay tribute to the beautiful creatures: the height of the animal at the withers is 60 cm, long legs visually make the body especially graceful.

The proportionality of the body is due to good bone structure.

The head is small in relation to the size of the body and the length of the neck. The head is crowned with long and wide ears; they always stick out funny. The animal's hearing is delicate, and the victim will be distinguishable at a considerable distance. The inside of the ears is very well furred.

The black nose and bridge of the nose are quite wide, which adds to the resemblance to a cheetah.

The almond-shaped eyes are always light, the gaze expresses hunting instincts.

The fur of a wild serval is light milky, with spots the color of chocolate. The spots gradually turn into stripes on the back. The belly, chest and muzzle are lighter than other areas of the coat. The characteristic fur colors of the African cat fall into a range of tones from sandy to brownish. There is also a cat black serval(melanistic) in Kenya. The African cat, living closer to forests, is darker in color than its bushy counterparts.

There are colors with chaotic lines and a yellowish background. In captivity, silvery light colors are found, indicating a relationship with the lynx.

In the wild, servals live 10 years, and under the wing of caring owners at home, up to 20 years.

Dimensions and weight of servals

From childhood, serval kittens represent fast predators: long legs allow them to run fast and jump high with their brothers and sisters. Adult cats can run up to 80 km/h.

Wild animals easily catch a bird in flight, since its long hind legs allow it to push off the ground 3 meters. This is a breathtaking sight!

The animal’s body, compared to other African cats, is neither small nor large, but among pets, the serval will take pride of place among big cats.

The length of an adult pet, excluding the tail and depending on the subspecies, is 70-120 cm, and the weight ranges from 10-18 kg. The pet's tail is not particularly long: 30-40 cm.

Serval character

Kittens of the Serval breed, provided that they come from the nursery enclosure to the house before five months, very quickly become attached to the owner. It can be said that bush cat gives all her love and affection to the person who cares about her. This is a faithful friend, a companion in all outdoor games, a conqueror of heights in the apartment, a curious animal that wonders at what speed the owner’s glass flies down from the table.

The little African guest is a great learner and learns to use the litter box quickly and easily.

The cat can get along with other pets if the latter do not show excessive aggression.

But it is better not to allow small children under 4-5 years of age to offend the baby cat in any way, as he will remember this forever and will be afraid of any children.

Serval lifestyle

The predator can be seen by its coloring and habits: the bush cat's jump reaches a height of 3.5 m, so I would like to express sympathy for its victim. The beast's morning begins around 5 am. But after 4 hours all activity fades away, so that strength accumulates by 22 hours. At midnight the cat again goes to watch cat dreams.

The African serval is found in bushes or grassy thickets, near water. If a cat finds itself in a tropical forest, it moves along the edges.

Hunts wild cat serval, like a caracal, sneaking up in tall thickets or grass. If you need to quickly reach a flying bird, then make a vertical three-meter jump. Rodents simply dig out, practically without a long wait at the mink - it is easier for a predator to dig up the animals’ home.

The source of food cannot hide in trees or in water. Apparently, this is why the hunt is successful in 50-60% of cases.

The Serval cat does not particularly crave the company of its relatives, making an exception only for females during the mating season. The animals prefer not to show aggression - they simply disperse into their own areas: each has its own habitat. Animals oversee a territory marked by their scent. Typically, a male's territory affects the territories of several females.

Serval in the food chain

The wild serval cat, as a participant in the food chain, regulates the number of rodents and other pests. But the cat itself can serve as food for other animals.

It is worth mentioning that these animals are carriers of toxoplasma: it turns out that this cat is a link in the chain from protozoa to humans.

What does a serval eat?

In the morning and twilight evening hours, the bush cat goes hunting. Hyrax hares, a small antelope, are eaten as food. Of the birds, flamingos and guinea fowl are especially favorite. In the absence of these birds, the cat will catch and eat any other.

The structure of the ears allows one to hear the rustling and movement of rodents and reptiles from afar; the structure of the long limbs elevates the cat above the grass and thickets, without interfering with the view of the savannah.

A hungry cat will not disdain large insects.

When raising a Serval cat at home, take into account his preferences in the menu.

An adult predator eats up to 1300 g of meat products per day.

Enemies

Although the spotted cat is not dangerous for humans, for humans it is a threat to life. Poachers may harass a beautiful cat because of its fur.

Other enemies of the steppe serval include hyenas, wild dogs and leopards.

Reproduction of servals and caring for offspring

Serval cats do not adhere to any boundaries regarding the mating season: on the African continent, tiny kittens are born mainly in late winter and until mid-spring. A female serval carries her cubs for just over two months. There are usually 2-3 babies in one litter. The mother brings them to a nest in the tall grass and feeds them.

In six months serval kittens They begin to hunt on their own, but have not yet given up their mother’s milk. At 7 months, the female stops feeding them, and they hunt together for up to a year, then the children leave her and go to live completely independently in other territories.

Where do servals live?

In the wild, the serval cat can be found in different areas of the African continent. Their habitat ends in the south of the Sahara Desert, but some cats have settled quite comfortably on the northern side near Morocco and Algeria.

The wild African serval does not choose areas to live far from water, so there is no point in looking for them in dry areas. They also refuse the possibilities of humid equatorial forests, stopping only at their edges.

The serval cat is also found in mountainous areas, about 3 km above sea level.

In Western and Eastern Africa, the coexistence of humans and servals has not yet become a tragedy, but in other areas the cat is actively hunted. Many subspecies are on the verge of survival. In the IUCN Red Book, the northern subspecies can be found under the status of a threatened species.

Domestic serval

The wild cat has long been in nurseries and private homes. The breed has become popular not only for the shocking exotic appearance of their pets, but also for their character, affectionate, like an ordinary cat, and loyal, like a dog.

Many doubt Is it possible to keep a serval at home? like a pet. You shouldn’t even listen to myths that they are dangerous: an animal can show aggression only in case of protecting its offspring, but even in this case you have to try.

The domestic serval quickly settles into the apartment, sticks its nose into all the affairs of the household, but when new faces appear, it hides by running to a secret place. Listening to the reviews of the owners, you even wonder what is “wild” about this beast?

The domestic Serval cat is touchy: if she has done something wrong, she can be punished by locking her in a room and not communicating with her for a while, but this animal cannot be beaten under any circumstances.

At home, the natural origin reveals the desire to climb to heights, swinging on the curtains - the instincts of a predator will still manifest themselves.

At home, it is necessary to maintain the correct diet - at home the animal cannot obtain food for itself, and no one has canceled the high need for meat. Owners don’t have to bother with their beloved pet’s diet: the cat is fed raw meat with bones (poultry, beef) and any meat by-products along with a vitamin complex.

The training of a small kitten is usually successful: it is not difficult to accustom the animal to a collar and leash, and the “fetch” command will give both the pet and the owner many happy moments.

Buy a serval kitten

Before you start looking with burning eyes for a nursery that sells cats of this exotic breed, you should check your bank account. It's easy to be surprised to learn how much does a serval kitten cost? in Russia. The maximum price for a kitten in rubles is on average about 600,000, or approximately $10,000. On average, prices start at $2,000.

Why are servals so expensive? Nurseries in Moscow and St. Petersburg offer purebred kittens with high health indicators, advise on pet care, and give advice on taming the animal. Buying a cat from a cattery is always safer than buying a cat from a private advertisement, even if the price in the latter is significantly lower. If you purchase a kitten without the proper package of documents, there is a chance that it was brought in by poachers, is not socially adapted and is sick. The consequences of such a thoughtless purchase will affect the entire family.

In Ukraine, a wild African cat can be purchased for 150-200 thousand hryvnia.

Serval hybrid breeds

Without human intervention in the natural world, life would be more boring: an interesting fact was the birth of the caravan and the servical. These kittens were the result of crossing a serval and a caracal. Outwardly, these are exceptionally charming offspring, sold for growing at home.

An ordinary domestic cat did not pass by either: a cross with a serval gave the world a new exotic breed, the Savannah. The breeds are very similar, but the Savannah does not boast a pure wild ancestry, and is more adapted to life in captivity. The generation born from a serval, marked F1, carries about 53% of the blood of the wild ancestor and is therefore highly valued.

Serval(another name is the bush cat) is a predator from the cat family.
The serval is a medium-sized cat, its body length is 59-92 cm. The serval's tail is quite short - from 20 to 45 cm. The serval's legs are the longest relative to body size among all cats, due to the length of the serval's legs, it is 20 cm higher than a similar one the length of the body is an ocelot and 12 cm higher than that of a serval, whose weight is the same as that of a serval - up to 18 kg. The serval needs tall height to see prey in the tall grass.

In addition to being tall, the serval has the largest ears relative to body size among felines, although the serval's ears are inferior in length to the ears of the serval. The serval needs large ears to hear its main prey - small rodents.

Genetically, the serval is closest to the African wild golden cat and the caracal, and in coloring the serval is similar to. In the mountainous regions of Kenya there are servals whose coloring is similar to black servals (melanistic). White servals (albinos) have never been observed in the wild, and only 4 albino servals were known in captivity.
The serval lives only in Africa, inhabiting mainly savannas south of the Sahara. Servals are also found in mountainous areas at an altitude of up to 3 km. Servals avoid deserts because... they need open sources of water, at the same time, servals do not like wet equatorial forests, living only on their edges. Despite the fact that servals are hunted by people and large cats (for example, leopards), the number of servals in the wild is stable and they are not an endangered species. Only one of the 12 subspecies of the serval, found in North Africa, is endangered.
The serval is a nocturnal predator. 90% of its prey are small animals weighing less than 200 grams. These are mostly rodents. Servals also often prey on hyraxes, insects, hares, frogs, lizards, and snakes. Typically, a serval stands motionless during a hunt for up to 15 minutes and listens to any rustles. Having seen or heard prey, the serval jumps after it.

Also, the serval is capable of digging holes when hunting for rodents, and climbing trees after hyraxes.

A serval's standing long jump can reach 3.6 meters. The Serval is also a good high jumper. Jumping 3 meters in the air, he can shoot down birds in mid-flight. The serval's long legs allow it to reach speeds of up to 80 km/h. The serval can use this speed in hunting antelope, gazelles, and deer.

The serval is one of the most effective predators. On average, more than 50% of his hunts end in the capture of prey. For comparison: for leopards this figure is only 38%, and for lions - 30%.

Servals live alone. The male usually controls a territory of up to 30 square kilometers, the female - up to 20. Mating among servals is not confined to a specific time of year. Gestation lasts from 66 to 77 days and from one to four kittens are born, but most often two. Females give birth to their young in abandoned burrows of aardvarks (animals similar to anteaters) or in nests in the grass.

Serval kittens weigh about 250 grams at birth. They are born blind and open their eyes between the 9th and 13th days of life. Servals begin to hunt independently from the age of six months, and when they are one year old, they leave their mother.

Serval kitten

In the wild, servals live about 10 years, and in captivity - up to 20.

Servals can interbreed with caracals and domestic cats. Hybrids of a serval and a caracal are called servicals and caravals. A hybrid of a serval and a domestic cat (most often Bengal cats) is called a savannah. The Savannah breed began to be bred in the United States in the early 1980s.

Domestic serval and savannah kitten. Video

In 2006, it was announced that a new breed of cat, the Asherah, had been developed based on the genes of the serval, the Asian Bengal cat and the common domestic cat. The price for these cats reached up to $27 thousand. However, DNA analysis showed that the Asherah is the most common Savannah, and not a new breed at all.
It is possible to tame a serval directly, but you can only keep a serval at home that was born in captivity and raised as a pet.

Serval cat breed. The most secretive and certainly the rarest of domestic cats. The serval is valuable because it looks exactly like a cheetah. In fact, the serval is the famous wild cat. He is no different from him either in character, appearance, or disposition.

The birthplace of the first cats of this breed is Africa. By now, their numbers have begun to decline. And all because the fur of this cat is very valuable among poachers. There are approximately fourteen species of wild servals. You should know that they differ only in coat color.

Serval cat description

Not so long ago, scientists realized: if you approach the matter wisely, the breed can be domesticated well. And after that, domestic servals began to be supplied to markets. The domestic serval is considered a proud representative of the “black” continent.

Allows its owners to admire its grace and elegant appearance. He is a predator and his appearance is designed for hunting and attack.

Breed standards have not been fully developed, but there are certain features. For example:

• Kittens of this breed have a small head and high-set, large ears.
• Wide nose and bridge of the nose.
• Almond-shaped eye (bottom), boomerang-shaped (top, along the upper eyelid).
• The pads under the vibrissae are clearly visible and the vibrissae themselves are dense and long.

The color of the animal is varied. It varies from sandy to red-brown. The coat is very delicate and at the same time thick and short.

Serval character

To ensure that the character of a cat of this breed does not show too much, you need to very correctly prevent the pet from showing signs of its ancestors.

Servals jump and run a lot. They need both. In nature, servals jump up to three meters (in height). At home, serval cats will hunt birds.

Agree that with their characteristics, catching a bird is much easier than for cats of other breeds. Well, soon the servals will conquer all the heights in your home.

This poses some danger to various fragile interior items. In general, cats of this breed are curious and friendly. They protect their territory and explore new ones.

Health of the domestic serval

The first instruction is to hand feed the kitten. This way, the kitten will associate you with pleasant emotions and will not try to hide from you.

You can also try playing with the kitten while lying on the floor. This way the kitten will stop perceiving you as a threat. Here are three main rules for raising a Serval:

Feeding serval cats

The daily food requirement for an adult serval is up to half a kilogram of meat. They should be fed raw meat with bones and given vitamins with calcium supplements. You can also try feeding ready-made food instead of meat.

In order to get the most complete picture of the character of this breed, you need to understand that this cat’s behavior is very similar to a dog!

They are good at walking on a leash, following fairly complex commands, and can make friends with other animals, provided they are the same size as the serval.

If the second animal is smaller, then most likely you will only have a serval left.

Of course, keeping an almost real cheetah at home is a big responsibility.

However, if the desire is great, then you can try: there are special nurseries where these animals are bred, and even on Avito there are many advertisements for the sale of servals.