Range and Habitat: African Servals can be found in open grasslands, wooded savannas, and on the fringes of the rainforests in central and southern Africa.
Servals are one of the few species of felids to have both spots and stripes. They also have tear lines below their eyes, which absorb sunlight and reduce light from reflecting back into their eyes. This helps them see and hunt in bright sunlight.
Servals are carnivores that prey on small animals such as hares, rodents, birds, frogs, and sometimes even young antelope. Servals have a high success rate for catching prey. About 40% of attempts are successful during the day and nearly 60% of attempts are successful at night. Their large ears help them to detect prey hiding in vegetation.
Fun Facts: Servals can jump nine to ten feet vertically! They have the largest ears for their size of any felid. The serval is the second fastest felid after the cheetah.
