 In today's video, we are going to talk about some interesting facts and myths about the serval cat. Servals are medium-sized wild cats with tawny, black spotted coats and long necks and long legs that allow them to see over sabana grasses. They also have large ears and an acute sense of hearing. The serval cat is a beautiful animal that some people keep as an exotic pet. While you may be able to acquire a serval cat from a breeder, they are considered wild cats. To own a serval cat, you must create a large, secure outdoor enclosure and provide a warm environment year-round. They will need to feed on whole prey food items and require veterinary care from an experienced exotics vet. Here are some of the interesting facts about the serval cat, which will give you some further insight into its characteristics and temperament. 1. Serval cat size and appearance. Often referred to as the cat of spare parts, this unusual, but the beautiful cat is among the feline family's most successful. It has a small, delicate head and extremely large ears set on an elongated neck, long slim legs, hind legs longer than the front, a long slender body and a short tail. The ears are black on the back with a distinctive white spot, and the tail has six or seven black rings and a black tip. The coat color is pale yellow with black markings, either of large spots that tend to merge into longitudinal stripes on the neck and back, or of numerous small spots, which give a speckled appearance. These speckled servals from West Africa used to be considered a separate species of felus brachiora until it was demonstrated that the speckled pattern was just a morph. 2. Serval cat's behavior. They are solitary animals. The serval is active in the day as well as at night, activity might peak in the early morning, around twilight and at midnight. Servals might be active for a longer time on cool or rainy days. During the hot midday, they rest or groom themselves in the shade of bushes and grasses. Servals remain cautious of their vicinity. Servals walk as much as two to four kilometers every night. Servals will often use special trails to reach certain hunting areas. A solitary animal, there is little social interaction among servals except in the mating season. The only long-lasting bond appears to be of the mother and her cubs, which leave their mother only when they are a year old. The female defends home ranges of 9.5 to 19.8 square kilometers, depending on local prey availability. The male defends larger territories of 11.6 to 31.5 square kilometers and marks its territory by spraying urine onto bushes. The serval is vulnerable to hyenas and wild dogs. It will seek cover to escape their view, and, if the predator is very close, immediately flee in long leaps, changing its direction frequently and with the tail raised. They are efficient climbers, and individual was observed to have climbed a tree to a height of more than 9 meters to escape dogs. Like many cats, the serval is able to pur, it also has a high-pitched chirp and can hiss, cackle, growl, grunt, and meow. 3. Serval cats habitat. Servals are found in well-watered Savannah long-grass environments and are associated with reed beds and other riparian vegetation types. They occupy a variety of habitats all associated with water sources, they range up into alpine grasslands and can penetrate deep dense forests along waterways and through grassy patches, but are absent from rain forests. They will make use of arid areas in extreme instances and have occasionally done so in parts of southwestern Africa. 4. Serval cats hunting and diet. The serval's sensitive hearing allows it to locate small mammals moving through the grass or underground, and to hunt its prey sometimes without seeing it until the final pounce. Servals are carnivores, which means they eat meat. Servals also have the ability to leap vertically and catch prey such as birds, right out of the air. They do this by clapping with their front paws together and striking with a downward blow. Primary prey items for the serval include rodents, birds, reptiles, fish, frogs, insects, and crabs. Servals have a hunting success rate of 50%. Do not be alarmed if your serval eats so fast, that it regurgitates everything right back up due to clogging its throat. It may attempt to re-eat the regurgitated food if has not started fermenting from its stomach acid. Servals are highly intelligent cats. When feeding them, a game or puzzle that makes the cat problem solve will enable the meal to be more rewarding and counts as an enrichment activity in their daily routine. Hello. This video is sponsored by Beemix Pets. Are you looking for high quality cat collars at an affordable cost? Check out BeemixPets.com. Use coupon code KittenLife to get 20% off. 5. Servals are hunted by humans. The main threats to servals are leopards, dogs, and of course, man. Because of their beautiful pellage, they are a prime target for poachers. Their skins are sold as young leopards or cheetahs, which are much scarcer. The pelt trade for they are sold is mostly for domestic ceremonial, medicinal purposes or the tourist trade rather than for commercial export. There is also the issue of preserving the land that makes up their homeland, which is destroyed by human encroachment or from the annual burning of grasslands. Some tribes hunt and kill the serval for their flesh. 6. Serval cats reproduction. Servals have no set breeding season. Breeding occurs mostly during the spring months though. It is at this time that the local mouse populations breed meaning food is plentiful. Servals live a solitary lifestyle. When the female is ready to mate she will find a male and court him for a few days. After 60-67 days, 1-4 kittens are born, 2 are most common. These kittens are blind and helpless with a grayish, woolly coat. The mother establishes a den which she may build from tall grass or build in an abandoned burrow. At 9-13 days old, their eyes begin to open. At 4 weeks old, they get their first taste for meat. By 4-7 months old, they are feeding solely on meat. Males are normally kicked out of the home straight after this, while some females stay with their mom for two years. It can take up to two years for them to reach sexual maturity. 7. Serval cats common health concerns. Ensure access to a veterinarian who can care for exotic pets. Servals need the same annual immunizations and dewormings as domestic cats. While many pet servals are declawed in the interest of preventing injury to humans, this is a practice that can result in an infection. It also makes the serval vulnerable in a confrontation with other animals. One common veterinary emergency for servals is swallowing foreign objects, which can become lodged in their throats or difficult to pass. 8. Serval and human interaction. Humans do cause some conflict with servals, but it is relatively minimal. Servals have been hunted for their skins, but this trend is declining. The biggest threat to servals is the degradation of wetland and savanna habitats, as well as urbanization. Some farmers will kill servals if they are found nearby, but generally servals do not prey on any livestock. 9. Does the serval make a good pet? In many locations, it is illegal to own a serval as a pet. They can be owned in some areas, but they are wild animals and can be dangerous and unruly. The hybrid exotic cat, the savanna cat, is more manageable while retaining the unique coat pattern and high energy. 10. Taking care of serval cat. In zoos, servals are provided with plenty of enclosure space for exercise. They are acrobatic creatures and have lots of ledges and climbing opportunities. These intelligent creatures require lots of environmental enrichment to keep them entertained in human care. Some examples include toys like balls and ropes, puzzle feeders, and different substrates. They are also capable of being trained and handled. Servals are fed commercial carnivore diet produced for zoo animals, mice, fish, bones, and egg. It is important to understand the risks involved in owning a wild animal. Ownership of a serval cat is illegal in many locales and requires licenses, permits, and inspections in others. You must check with local laws to know which will apply. Serval cats are difficult to re-home if you can no longer care for the cat. If you enjoyed this video, kindly press the like button. Also don't forget to subscribe with notifications on, so that you don't miss out on videos like this. Thank you for watching.