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Some federal rules apply In-depth sheet

Serval

Leptailurus serval

Also known as Serval Cat

Mammals › Cats, dogs and other carnivores (Carnivora) › Felidae (Cats)

Servals are solitary, athletic wild cats with the longest legs and ears for their size of any cat. They need huge secure enclosures and expert care.

Pet trade

Experience: Expert / facility

Serval — Photo: datadan, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Photo: datadan, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Weight20–40 lb

Lifespanabout 22 years in care

ActiveDusk and night

SocialSolitary

Care guide

Behavior

Can leap more than 6.5 ft (2 m) straight up to catch birds; hunting success near 48% in the wild.
Mark territory with urine spray.

Sources 76

Diet

Carnivores: in the wild about 93.5% small mammals and 5% birds.

Sources 76

Show the group care guide for small wild cats

Group care guide

Small wild cats

Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Forest, savanna and desert. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.

Housing & setup

Large, roofed enclosures with climbing structures, platforms, dens and enrichment.
Strong spraying and marking behavior; not housebroken like domestic cats.

Sources 76 138 139

Diet

Whole prey or complete carnivore diets with taurine; never plain meat.

Sources 76 138 139

Health watch

Spraying, destructive behavior and bites; specialized veterinary care is hard to find.

Sources 76 138 139

Understanding the animal

In the wild

Researched for this exact species, not its family. Good care copies these conditions.¹²

Where it lives	Sub-Saharan African grasslands and wetlands, particularly tall grass, reed beds, marsh edges and brush. Dense cover and abundant small mammals are important hunting resources.
Ground it lives on	grass-covered soil and reed litter; sheltered dens in brush or abandoned holes
Climate	Its geographic range includes temperate and tropical areas. Animal Diversity Web gives an average annual temperature of 13.7 C (56.7 F) and average rainfall of 826 mm per year across its range. In the Ngorongoro Crater, winters are mild and occasional snowfall occurs; humidity was not stated.
Active	Often crepuscular; may hunt by day or night and become more nocturnal near people.
Social life	Predominantly solitary and territorial; males and females sometimes associate briefly.
Wild diet	Mainly small mammals such as rats, mice and shrews; also birds and occasional frogs, lizards and insects.
Behavior to plan for	Locates prey by sound, then makes long or high pounces. Digs after hidden prey and marks territory with urine, rubbing and scratching.

What this means for care

Provide tall-cover-like retreats and room for running and pouncing.
Use fully secure containment that accounts for strong jumping.
Offer appropriate carnivore nutrition and search/pounce enrichment.
Provide individual housing or reliable separation.

Native climate (measured)

Warm-season highs	about 82°F (up to 91°F in the hottest sampled areas)
Cool-season lows	about 52°F (down to 44°F in the coldest sampled areas)
Average temperature	61–73°F across sampled records
Relative humidity	66–69% on average (driest month about 61%)
Rainfall	about 795 mm a year

Measured at 89 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.

Profile

Researched for this exact species. Sources are listed under In the wild above.

History

The name "serval" derives from Portuguese lobo-cerval, a term used by Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon in 1765 for a spotted cat kept in the Royal Menagerie at Versailles. Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber first described Felis serval in 1776; the species was formerly classified in Felis.

Keeper tips

Plan around the species' strong jumping ability; wild servals can leap more than 2 m vertically while hunting.
Provide opportunities compatible with its natural reliance on hearing and active prey-location behavior.
Account for scent marking with feces and saliva when designing and maintaining its living area.
Remember that the species is naturally solitary even though male and female home ranges can overlap.
Its wild habitat is structurally varied, including grasslands, reed beds, wetlands, bamboo thickets, and brush.

Behaviors reported

Locates prey using hearing.
Leaps more than 2 m above the ground to pounce on prey with the forefeet.
Kills prey with a bite to the neck or head.
Marks its home range with feces and saliva.
Young begin hunting independently at about six months.

Unique adaptations

Has the longest legs of any cat relative to body size.
Has very large ears relative to its size.
Its long legs and jumping ability support its distinctive pouncing hunting method.

Remarkable facts

It is the sole member of the genus Leptailurus.
Three subspecies are recognized.
Adults stand about 54-62 cm (21-24 in) at the shoulder and weigh approximately 9-18 kg (20-40 lb).
Its coat is golden-yellow to buff or copper-hued with black spots and stripes.
Grassland individuals are reported to tend to have larger spots than forest individuals.
Litters contain one to four kittens after a gestation of roughly two to three months.

Stories

In 1765, Buffon used the name lobo-cerval for a spotted cat that was being kept in the Royal Menagerie at Versailles.

From the sources

Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.

Overview	The serval (Leptailurus serval) is a wild small cat native to Africa. It is widespread in sub-Saharan countries, where it inhabits grasslands, wetlands, moorlands and bamboo thickets. Across its range, it occurs in protected areas, and hunting it is either prohibited or regulated in range countries. It is the sole member of the genus Leptailurus. — Wikipedia (community-edited)
Where it lives	African servals are most commonly found in reed beds and grasslands, which primarily consist of Themeda triandra. — Animal Diversity Web
Social life and communication	Being a solitary animal, African servals only interact with other members of their species when mating, caring for young, or fighting for territory. — Animal Diversity Web
Wild diet	African servals are crepuscular, hunting several times a night and early morning. — Animal Diversity Web
Behavior	African servals hunt during early morning and late afternoon and rest at mid-day and occasionally at night. — Animal Diversity Web
Reproduction	African servals are solitary animals except when breeding. — Animal Diversity Web
Lifespan	African servals are estimated to live 10 years in the wild. — Animal Diversity Web
Appearance and size	Adult African servals are slender, agile, and approximately 60 cm in length from shoulder to tail. — Animal Diversity Web
History and naming	Felis serval was first described by Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber in 1776. — Wikipedia (community-edited)

Data and studies

The numbers

Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.

Lifespan in care

Reported22years

Animal Diversity Web 7622

Maximum recorded lifespan

Highest reported23years

AnAge 16222.4

Myhrvold et al. 16323

Longest recorded lifespan reported by each database; typical lifespans are usually shorter. The AnAge record comes from an animal in human care.

Typical adult weight

Average of sources27.9lb

AnAge 16229.4

Myhrvold et al. 16326.5

Average adult body mass in each database (FishBase gives the maximum recorded weight).

Litter size

Average of sources2.5young

AnAge 1622.5

Myhrvold et al. 1632.4

Average per litter or clutch.

Gestation

Average of sources71days

AnAge 16270

Myhrvold et al. 16372

Female maturity

Average of sources2.2years

AnAge 1622.2

Myhrvold et al. 1632.2

Veterinary & husbandry research

Evaluation of the effects of naloxone on recovery time and quality after ketamine-medetomidine-butorphanol anesthesia in servals (Leptailurus serval) Moresco A et al., Journal of zoo and wildlife medicine: official publication of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians 2009
PREVALENCE OF CYSTINURIA IN SERVALS ( LEPTAILURUS SERVAL) IN THE UNITED STATES Cannizzo SA et al., Journal of zoo and wildlife medicine: official publication of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians 2017
Isolation of Malassezia spp. from cerumen of wild felids Coutinho SD et al., Medical mycology 2006
Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in exotic wild felids from Brazilian zoos Silva JC et al., Journal of zoo and wildlife medicine: official publication of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians 2001

Peer-reviewed papers that mention this species alongside captivity, zoos, veterinary care or aquaculture. Some cover several species or mention it only in passing, so check the abstract. See all 13 on PubMed → 170

Federal legal snapshot

Some federal rules apply

Endangered Species Act: some populations listed. Only certain forms of this species are ESA-listed: Leptailurus serval constantina (for some, only particular populations). Know exactly which form and origin your animal is; listed animals need federal permits for interstate commerce. 179
CITES Appendix II. Appendix II: international trade needs CITES export permits. CITES doesn't restrict buying a captive-bred animal within the U.S.; keep your purchase records. 173 186
USDA Animal Welfare Act. Keeping a pet for yourself doesn't need a federal license. Dealers (including many breeders who sell wholesale or sight-unseen) and exhibitors (including encounters and paid programs) generally need a USDA license and inspections; some small-scale breeders and retail sellers are exempt. 184

State law decides most of it. Each state sets its own permits and bans for exotic, native, venomous and dangerous animals, and cities and counties can be stricter. Find your state agency →

Animal Welfare Act standards

Warm-blooded animals not covered elsewhere (Subpart F). Applies to USDA-licensed or registered dealers, exhibitors (including encounters and paid programs) and research facilities. Private pet owners are not covered. These are legal minimums, not best care; the species care on this page goes further.

Facilities must be structurally sound and strong enough for the species, with reliable power and water, protected food storage and proper waste disposal. §3.125
Indoors: temperature regulated to protect from extremes, adequate ventilation without drafts, and lighting suited to the species that protects animals from excessive light. §3.126
Outdoors: shade from overheating sun, shelter suited to the local climate, and drainage. Animals must be acclimated before facing climate extremes. §3.127
Outdoor facilities need a perimeter fence at least 8 ft high for potentially dangerous animals (large cats, bears, wolves, rhinoceros, elephants) and 6 ft for others, at least 3 ft from the enclosure, unless USDA approves otherwise. §3.127
Space must allow each animal to make normal postural and social adjustments with adequate freedom of movement. Poor condition, stress or abnormal behavior can show the space is inadequate. §3.128
Food must be wholesome, palatable and of enough quantity and nutritive value for the species, age and condition, fed at least once a day except during hibernation, normal fasts or veterinary treatment. §3.129
Water must be available as often as needed for health and comfort, in clean receptacles. §3.130
Animals sharing an enclosure must be compatible, and must not be housed near animals that interfere with their health or cause them discomfort. §3.133
There is no general enrichment rule for this subpart; enrichment requirements apply to primates, birds and (exercise) dogs. §3.128

Source: 9 CFR Part 3, current eCFR text (USDA APHIS Animal Care).

Kept in captivity?

Every species on this site needs evidence that people actually keep it. For this one:

Included in our hand-checked list of animals kept as pets, livestock or in zoos
AnAge has a longevity record from an animal in captivity
Covered by one of our in-depth care sheets
536 iNaturalist observations of captive animals

Sources for this sheet

Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan): Leptailurus serval Zoo, university or veterinaryUniversity-hosted species account, mostly wild biology.
AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database (Human Ageing Genomic Resources) Peer-reviewed researchCurated, referenced longevity and life-history records for thousands of species; maximum lifespans are often from zoo animals.
Myhrvold et al. (2015). An amniote life-history database. Ecology 96: 3109 Peer-reviewed researchPeer-reviewed compilation of life-history data for over 21,000 birds, mammals and reptiles.
50 CFR 17.11: Endangered and threatened wildlife Zoo, university or veterinaryCurrent federal Endangered Species Act list.
Species+ (UNEP-WCMC and the CITES Secretariat) Zoo, university or veterinaryThe official database of species listed under CITES.
USFWS International Affairs: CITES Zoo, university or veterinaryFederal agency that issues CITES permits.
9 CFR 2.1: Animal Welfare Act licensing (USDA) Zoo, university or veterinaryWho needs a USDA license to breed, sell or exhibit animals.
Merck Veterinary Manual: Management of zoo animals Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
Merck Veterinary Manual: Nutrition: exotic and zoo animals Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) Peer-reviewed researchInternational scientific taxonomy used here for classification.
Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Peer-reviewed researchIndex of peer-reviewed veterinary, zoo and husbandry research.
iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.