Cape serval
| Cape serval | |
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| Subspecies: | † L. s. serval
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| Trinomial name | |
| Leptailurus serval serval | |
The cape serval (Leptailurus serval serval) is an extinct subspecies of serval that once resided in Africa.[citation needed][dubious ]
Habitat
The cape serval was found in savannas throughout Africa. They cannot be found in arid desert regions, tropical rainforests, or near the western tip of South Africa, and are almost always found near water.
Physical description
Servals have the longest ears and legs, relative to the size of their bodies, in the cat family. Their body length can be as long as 1 meter, their tail can grow to 45 centimeters, and their shoulder height can be up to 62 centimeters. Males are generally larger than females. Their long legs allow them to see over the tall grasses in the savannas, allowing them to follow their prey more easily. The auditory bullae and pinnae inside their ears are enlarged to help them detect the presence of prey that emit high-frequency sounds. Their ears are rounded with white stripes on the back. The pelage of the cape serval is a reddish-brown with many dark spots that may merge and form into stripes on the back. Servals that live closer to wet areas have more detailed markings on their body, and those living near dry spaces have large, bold spots.
Reproduction
Not much is known about the mating of servals, but it is not seasonal. From time to time, males and females may rest and hunt together for several days. Gestation lasts anywhere from 65 to 75 days. On average, three servals are born in each litter.
Behavior
Servals are solitary animals that mostly communicate by urine spraying and rubbing saliva on objects such as rocks or trees. They can also communicate using shrill cries, growling, and purring.
Generally, they do not like to confront each other, but conflict can occur when home territories overlap. Servals will often take cover and hide when surprised. When confronted, they may escape using sudden directional changes and leaping.
Servals are primarily crepuscular. Their peak activity times are between ten and eleven o'clock at night, and four to five in the early morning.
Hunting and taking care of the litter is mostly what the female serval does during the day. While she is out hunting, the unprotected kittens are hidden in a den built with tall, thick grass. Mothers will hunt for male kittens only until they are able to hunt on their own. The mothers will hunt for the females for a longer time.
Food and eating habits
Servals are carnivorous, and their diet consists mostly of hares, mole rats, ground squirrels, vlei rats, quails, quelea, frogs, and flamingos. They pounce on their victims and land on them with their two front paws. They can also reach into very deep holes and may enter water to catch prey. If they fail to catch their prey the first time, they often won't try again. Like most cats, when they catch prey, they might play with it before eating. They can leap up to 10 feet in the air and can change direction midair, even at full speed. This makes servals very efficient hunters. 40% of their pounces during the day are successful, and 59% at night.
External links
This article "Cape serval" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
