If you always dreamed of having a real wild beast in miniature at home, then the African serval will be a great choice. And to become the owner of such an animal is very prestigious, because these cats are on a par with purebred horses. However, with regard to content, the serval does not require any special conditions: this beast is very unpretentious and has a noble character, which makes it an excellent pet. Today we offer a closer acquaintance with this amazing animal.
African Cat Serval: Description
This animal looks like a long-legged slender strong cat of medium size. The closest relatives of the serval are the lynx and caracal. Characteristic features of the appearance of this cat are very long strong legs and disproportionately large ears with rounded tips. The African serval has a small head with an elongated muzzle and a wide nose and a short tail that does not reach the ground. The eyes of the breed are large enough, and the pupils of adult animals are round. Serval's claws are sickle-shaped and, like that of domestic cats, are pulled into the paw pads.
As for the dimensions, the African serval is larger than the usual “Murki” and “Vaska”. So, the height at the withers of these wild cats is from 40 to 65 centimeters. The body length reaches 90-130 centimeters, and the tail - 30-45 centimeters. The weight of the serval can vary between 8-18 kilograms.
These African seals are characterized by a color in the form of dark spots and stripes on a yellow-gray background. In this case, the chest, muzzle and stomach are white. Moreover, the color of these animals varies depending on the habitat. So, in the mountains you can meet completely black representatives of the breed, and in captivity, white servals with silver-gray spots were born several times.
When communicating, these animals use various types of vocalizations, among them growl, purr, piercing scream and others.
Habitat and habitat
The cat was serving from Africa. On this continent, it is found almost everywhere except for the Sahara desert, southern regions and the equatorial zone of forests. In nature, these animals prefer to settle in open spaces with thickets of grass and shrubs not far from sources of fresh water. But the deserts, tropical rain forests and dry plains, the African serval tries to avoid.
Lifestyle
For the most part, these representatives of the feline family are active in twilight. So, they go hunting in the late evening and early morning. However, sometimes you can find a serval tracking down prey in the daytime. Thanks to their long legs, these wild cats move easily and silently on tall grass. Excellent hearing helps them easily track even small prey. In addition, the serval is able to bounce to a height of up to three meters, which allows it to shoot down birds taking off from the ground. These animals prefer not to chase the victim, but to sneak up to it in the tall grass, and then, after making one big jump, grab it with its claws and crush under it. Also, the serval easily digs out various rodents from the holes. These cats perfectly climb trees and swim. In general, we can confidently call the Serval an excellent hunter. So, according to statistics, two-thirds of his attacks end in the capture of prey.
As for the natural enemies of the serval, they are wild dogs, leopards and hyenas. In addition, these magnificent animals often become victims of man. In times of danger, the African serval prefers either to hide or to flee.
Social structure
African servals lead a solitary lifestyle, pairing exclusively during the breeding season. The males of these animals are very territorial. So, the area of their individual plots can be from 40 to 70 square meters. kilometers. At the same time, females secure much smaller territories - 2-9 square meters. kilometers.
African Serval Reproduction
During the mating season, the female and male are paired. Together they both hunt and rest. Interestingly, males of this species can mate with caracals, as well as with ordinary domestic cats, as a result of which hybrids are born. In anticipation of childbirth, the female serval settles in the old burrow of the aardvark or builds a nest in the dense tall grass. Pregnancy in representatives of this species lasts from 65 to 75 days. In one litter, two or three cubs are born. When small males begin to hunt on their own, the mother expels them from their territory. Females stay with their mother much longer. Serval puberty occurs at the age of one and a half to two years.
Serval at home
These amazing seals today can be increasingly seen as pets. There is a myth about the danger of serval for humans, but such an opinion is not based on any real facts. Indeed, in nature, the victims of these representatives of the cat family are small animals and birds. A man, rather, acts as a natural enemy rather than potential prey. In this regard, the serval cat will under no circumstances attack its owner and members of his family. Therefore, such an exotic beast can be kept even in a house with children. It is quite possible to get a representative of this breed, even if you already have a cat, a home serval is likely to quickly find a common language with it, especially if you took him up at an early age (it is recommended to take 1.5-2 month old kittens) . It is interesting that these natives of Africa often resemble dogs with their habits, so you can walk on a leash with them. In addition, the serval will be happy to bring you a ball or other abandoned toy. They are also very gentle creatures that love affection and attention, as, indeed, all domestic cats.
As for feeding, in the wild, serval feeds mainly on rodents and small birds. When keeping the house, their diet should consist of raw meat with bones - beef and chicken. These cats can eat from 400 grams to 1.5 kilograms of food per day. In addition, servals need to be given vitamins with calcium supplements.
These people from Africa have very good health. However, in urban conditions, they need vaccination, like all other animals. As for life expectancy, it averages from 15 to 20 years.