Serval Leptailurus serval Least concern
Where the serval lives – recorded in 6 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.
Pin and shaded countries are approximate. The pin is a representative wild sighting (a central record among 430 open-licence GBIF records), not an official range. Method · Records on GBIF · See small wild cats on the world map
| Scientific name | Leptailurus serval |
|---|---|
| Group | Small wild cats |
| Status | Least concern (Wikidata, IUCN category label) |
| Found in | 6 countries |
| Continents | Africa |
| Diet (main food) | Great Egret, Eurasian Spoonbill, Eastern rock elephant shrew, Gazella, Madoqua, duiker, Old World porcupine, Rattus, African Pygmy Mouse, Phoenicopterus, African Spoonbill, Hyracoidea, Lepus capensis, rabbit |
| Class | Mammal |
| Order | Carnivora |
| Family | Felidae |
Where does the serval live?
Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the serval in 6 countries and territories across Africa.
Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.
What does a serval eat?
Wikidata lists the main food source of the serval as: Great Egret, Eurasian Spoonbill, Eastern rock elephant shrew, Gazella, Madoqua, duiker, Old World porcupine, Rattus, African Pygmy Mouse, Phoenicopterus, African Spoonbill, Hyracoidea, Lepus capensis, rabbit.
Is the serval endangered?
The serval’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Least concern” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.
What kind of animal is the serval?
The serval (Leptailurus serval) is a mammal in the order Carnivora and the family Felidae, genus Leptailurus. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)
About the serval
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. Three subspecies are recognised. The serval is a slender, medium-sized cat that stands 54–62 cm (21–24 in) tall at the shoulder and has a weight range of approximately 9–18 kg (20–40 lb). It is characterised by a small head, large ears, a golden-yellow to buff coat spotted and striped with black, and a short, black-tipped tail. The serval has the longest legs of any cat relative to its body size.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Serval (revision 1379486873), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q42699 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).
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