Opening statement

The Scientific name for the Serval is leptailurus serval. The serval’s have been shot for their fur that get sold as cheetah or leopard skin in black markets.

Appearance

The Serval has yellowish or orange coloured fur that is covered with both dark spots and stripes that helps camouflage the Serval into the long grass. Markings start at the top of the head, running between the ears then down the neck then forming four stripes which break into spots at the shoulder. The Serval's relatively short tail is banded with black rings and ends in a black tip. Serval's have quite long necks in comparison to their body size and when coupled with their long legs, enables their head to be up to 75cm off the ground which helps the animal to both see and hear clearly whilst hiding in long grass. Like all other felines (with the exception of the Cheetah) the Serval is able to pull-back its claws into protective pouches of skin in their feet which means that they are able to keep their claws sharp to hunt with as they are not being blunted when moving around.

Diet

The Serval is a carnivorous animal that hunts and eats small animals in order to survive. Servals primarily hunt rats and other small rodents along with fish and frogs in the water, large insects and small birds, which they are able to catch both on the ground and by leaping into the air. Servals detect their prey either by sniffing the air or by waiting and listening silently using their large ears. Once found, they lower their bodies towards the ground and slowly move towards it which is known as stalking. Once the Serval is close enough to its victim it pounces on it, catching the animal with its front paws.

Habitat

the Serval would have once been found throughout Africa but is today mainly confined to areas south of the Sahara. Although there are a few small populations in the north, they are thought to number around 250 mature individuals and are considered to be locally critically endangered. The Serval has a relatively wide range throughout central and southern parts of Africa where it is most commonly found in reed beds and bushes that fringe wetlands and in grasslands that have a good source of water.

Reproduction

Although there is no set breeding season for Servals, more mating tends to occur in the spring when a female will seek out and court the male for a few days. After mating, female Servals establish a safe den in dense vegetation where she gives birth to between one and three kittens. Servals are thought to live for an average of 10-12 years in the wild with oldest recorded individual having reached the age of 23.

Opening statement

Serval’s numbers are dropping because of habitat loss and hunters. I think we should help the Servals by not hunting the for their coats and by respecting their habitat by not cutting their habitat down.