Serval (Leptailurus serval) Fact Sheet: Physical Characteristics

*Sunquist & Sunquist (2002) note this is 12 cm (4.7 in) taller than a caracal of the same weight.

General body shape

• Medium-sized cat
• Legs
  
• Long and slim
• Longest legs (relative to body size) of any other cat species (Kitchener et al 2010; Sunquist et al 2002)
• Adapted for hunting in tall grasses, not for speed
• Lifestyle similar to that of the long-legged maned wolf
• Feet (from Sunquist et al 2002 unless otherwise noted)
• Mobility well suited to pulling rodents out of crevices
• Digits (toes)
• Long and mobile with strong, curved claws
• 5 digits on each forefoot; 4 on each hindfoot (Skinner & Smithers 1990)
• Dew claw on front feet does not leave an impression in a print (Skinner & Smithers 1990)

• Neck
• Long
• Head
• Small, delicate
• Ears (from Kitchener et al 2010 unless otherwise noted)
• Very large, tall
• Mobile
• Enables effective capture of sound
• Serval can detect rodents in the grass and underground
• Ear bones in skull (auditory bullae) large (22% of skull length) (Skinner & Smithers 1990)
• Eyes (from Kitchener et al 2010)
• Pupil closes to elliptical, spindle shape
• Similar to that of domestic cat, caracal, and ocelot
• Unlike that of the lion, tiger, puma, and cheetah which contracts to a small, round dot

Pelage

• Adult appearance
• Overall pale yellow color
• Colors of upper fur vary from off-white to golden-yellow (Skinner & Chimimba 2005)
• Underside lighter than upper
• Melanistic (all black) individuals often in highlands of Kenya and Ethiopia (Sunquist & Sunquist 2002)
• Spots on the sides
• Solid black spot
• A range of fur patterns may be present, varying from freckled to bolder spotting (Breitbeil 2002)
• Bars or bands on neck and shoulders
• Back of ears show white bars edged in black
• Tail with black bands
• Tip black
• Hair (from Skinner & Chimimba 2005)
• Guard hairs
• c. 30 mm long over entire body
• Underfur is dense, wavy and shorter than outer guard hair
• Scattered tactile hairs up to 60 mm long

Males somewhat larger than females.

Comparison of traits with caracals (from Skinner & Chimimba 2005)

• Skull
• Lighter in serval, more heavy in caracal
• Sarvals lack a high sagittal crest
• Muzzle projects forward more than in caracal's skull
• Jaws of serval less powerful
• Reflective of a dietary differences; serval consume more smaller prey items
• Teeth of upper jaw
• Second premolar (first tooth after the canine) present in serval; absent in the caracal

Servals have a coat that is tawny with both black lines and spots, while their belly is a soft white. They top out at 40 pounds (18 kilograms) yet have the largest ears of any cat.

Image credit: © San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. All rights reserved.

Kitchener et al (2010)
Skinner & Chimimba (2005)
Skinner & Smithers (1990)
Sunquist & Sunquist (2002)