Serval Leptailurus serval (Schreber, 1776)

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1 Page 1 of 13 Deon Furstenburg Serval Leptailurus serval (Schreber, 1776) Afrikaans German French Swahili isindebele isizulu isixhosa sesotho setswana Shona Shangaan Venda Nama Tierboskat Servalkatze Serval / Chat-tigre Mondo Indlozi Indlozi Inhlosi Phaha / Tloli Tadi / Letlôtse Nzudzi Ndloti Didingwe!Garu Photo: Dian Furstenburg, adult serval female IUCN Conservation Status: Low Risk, least concern (LR/lc).

2 Page 2 of 13 This cat seemingly has as many names as lives! In 1781 Forster described it as Tyger bosh katten, while the ancient Dutch name was tijgerboschkat and bosch-kat and the colonial English gave it the name tiger-cat. Its present name is derived from the Portuguese for the European lynx lobo-cerval and the Afrikaans tierboskat is a direct translation of the ancient Dutch name. The serval shares anatomical and behavioural features with the domestic house cat but differs in size and colour. It is similar to the cheetah Acinonyx jubatus but has a relatively small head and short tail. The ears are large and dish-shaped and resemble those of the bat-eared fox Otocyon megalotis. Taxonomy Kingdom: ANIMALIA Phylum: CORDATA Class: MAMMALIA Supercohort: LAURASIATHERIA Cohort: FERUNGULATA Superorder: FERAE Order: CARNIVORA Suborder: FELIFORMIA Family: Felidae Subfamily: Felinae Genus: Leptailurus Species: serval The serval was first described by Schreber in 1776 after a specimen from the Cape, and was named Felis serval serval. A second specimen caught alive on the Cape Peninsula was described by Forster (1781) as Felis capensis serval. The South African Museum houses a specimen collected from Somerset West in 1898, and fossilized prehistoric serval remains have been found at Langebaan on the Western Cape coastline. The serval colour pattern varies throughout its distribution range to such an extent that Allen listed 17 sub-species in At present taxonomists remain cautious and do not recognise any sub-speciation. The genus Felis was recently reviewed and the serval was re-classified into a separate genus Leptailurus with only the one species, Leptailurus serval. Distribution The historical distribution range of the serval has remained largely intact except where its habitat was replaced by modern city development and urbanization. The distribution includes a major part of sub-saharan Africa excluding the equatorial rainforests of the

3 Page 3 of 13 Congo and western Africa, the arid regions of Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, southern Namibia, western Botswana and the Greater Karoo of South Africa. An isolated population occurs in north-western Africa in the mountains of Morocco and Tunisia. Fortunately, the serval tolerates agricultural development and, as it preys on rodents alone is not considered to be a small-stock killer, unlike the bat-eared fox Otocyon megalotis and the Cape fox Vulpes chama. Despite its wide distribution throughout Africa the serval is one of the last of the cats to be studied scientifically due to its secretive, solitary and largely nocturnal behaviour. The most comprehensive serval study is that of the Dutch zoologist Aadje Geertsema in Tanzania during the early 1980 s. In southern Africa the serval is widespread and can be found in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, northern Botswana and north-eastern Namibia. In South Africa it is found in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, the Eastern Cape and the western areas of KwaZulu-Natal. In the past it was plentiful in the south-eastern coastal regions of the Cape but has been

4 Page 4 of 13 displaced by human development. However recent sightings were reported in George and Port Elizabeth indicating a re-settlement of its former range. During the past few years it has been reintroduced to the area through intensive breeding programmes on private farms. The serval population to the northwest of the Sahara Desert was isolated from the southern population about to years BP due to the global environmental and vegetation changes that took place after the last Ice Age. Description The serval has the typical body build of a cat and is elegant and slender. Its legs are elongated and, in relation to its body size, are the longest legs of all cat species. The tail does not contribute to balanced movement or to hunting manoeuvres as it is short (30-35 cm), extending to just above the hind knees. Each well-muscled paw is equipped with soft cushions and has fully retractable, hooked claws, five on the front paw and four on the hind. The mean body mass of the serval is 14 kg for adult males reaching a maximum of 18 kg, and 10 kg for adult females with a maximum of 12.5 kg. Both have a shoulder height ranging from cm. Excluding the tail, the total body length from snout to the end of the body is cm. The coat colour resembles that of a tiger Panthera tigris on the back and that of cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus on the flanks and legs. The golden brown on the back of the neck, shoulders and back changes to yellow brown and cream white down towards the flanks and legs. The back is marked with elongated, broken, black stripes and the flanks and legs are overlaid by the characteristic, linear, oval black spots of different sizes. The tail has a continuous black stripe on the dorsal surface, concentric black rings and ends in a black tip. The thin, dark stripe running through the inner corner of the eye down to the snout is prominent and is similar to that of the cheetah. The underside of the belly, neck and inner thighs is cream white and the hair long and furry. In comparison to other cats the ears are held stiffly upright and are large and rounded. They have two prominent black patches 3-4 cm wide on the exterior and long silver hair on the interior. The coat colour is brighter in moist, shady habitats and the young are more greyish than yellow. Predominantly black, melanistic forms of serval are occasionally recorded. Serval are highly specialized predators with a shortened skull and reduced dentition. The canines are well developed but the molars are rudimentary and designed to rip rather than chew. This is in contrast to most other predators that have molars designed to rip and chew simultaneously.

5 Page 5 of 13 Spoor The serval spoor is characteristic of cats. It has an almost round, five-cushioned print with a large, central cushion and four digit cushions on its front perimeter. The front prints are 42x40 mm and the hind a slightly larger 43x43 mm. The fifth digit on the forepaw is not printed, as it is rudimentary and situated higher up the inner side of the leg. The hind paws lack a fifth digit altogether. Claw marks do not show as the claws are fully retractable.

6 Page 6 of 13 Information table Serval information table Characteristic Male Female Adult body weight kg ,7 12,5 Adult shoulder height cm Total body length cm (snout to tail end) Sexual maturity age months Social maturity age (1st mating) months st Litter born at age years 2,5 Gestation period days Litter size number 1 5 Litter interval months 10 Rutting season Year round Birth season Year round Weaning age months 3 4 Independent at age months 6 8 Gender ratio: entire population (natural) 1 1 Mating ratio: adults (natural) 1 1,5 Cubs birth ratio 1 1 Maximum lifespan years Social order Solitary Solitary Home range ha?? Territory range ha Daily food consumption (adults) kg?? Maximum stocking load 4 cats per ha (Determined by pray animal abundance) Minimum habitat size required ha Annual population growth 8 15% Trophy Trophies are measured by adding the maximum width of the skull to the length measured from the snout, over the top of the skull to the spine. The measurement is directly related to age.

7 Page 7 of 13 Serval trophy records Rowland Ward (XXVII edition 2006): Minimum qualifying value = 7 1 /2" (19,05 cm) Measuring method 17 Rank Inch cm Locality Year Source 1 st 9 13 /16" Swartruggens, North West, RSA 1999 J.C. Taljaard 2 nd 9 13 /16" Middelburg, Mpumalanga, RSA 2000 P.J. Fraser 3 rd 9 3 /4" Ellisras, Limpopo, RSA 1997 L.S. Nagel 4 th 9 3 /4" Eastern Cape, RSA 1995 G. Nel 5 th 9 11 /16" Soutpansberg, Limpopo, RSA 1997 F. Harris Safari Club International S.C.I.: Not listed as a trophy animal Confederation of Hunters Associations of South Africa CHASA: Not listed as a trophy animal Habitat requirement Higher rainfall regions of mm per annum are preferred. Serval distribution is associated with dense, tall grass, marshlands, reed beds and areas with abundant rodent populations. They are also found in transitional ecotone zones on the skirts of forests, riverine thickets and mountain grasslands. Drier habitats with an annual rainfall of mm are occasionally occupied if suitable cover and sufficient prey are present. Behaviour Serval are the most energetic of all cat species with activities being restricted to dawn, dusk and the early night hours. The serval can thus be regarded as nocturnal. It takes cover during daylight hours by lying down in tall grass or by occupying the old burrows of aardvark Orycteropus afer and porcupine Histrix africanus. Most prey is hunted at night, especially in the early morning hours between 04:00 and 05:00. Females with young extend their hunting into daylight in order to find sufficient food for their young. Scats are usually dropped along frequently used paths. After defecation the serval may give a rapid single scratch to the soil surface but, in contrast to other cat species, no real attempt is made to cover the scat. Visual communication is important when two or more cats come to contact. A slight, gentle up-down nod with the head is followed by a soft growl and then a fierce display of aggression. Unlike most large mammals there is no element of submissive retreat; rather the weaker animal lies down on its back with claws displayed. The dominant animal either turns away and avoids further conflict or attacks viscously. During a fight the serval bites continuously, using the claws of the front paws to slice the opponent s head, face and neck area and those on the hind paws to rip the belly and body. When a serval senses danger it pulls itself flat onto the ground then suddenly dodges

8 Page 8 of 13 into thick vegetation where it waits for the danger to pass. If danger persists it will dart away in long, twisting, zig-zag leaps of up to 4 m that leaves an impression of floating above the grass. Although most of the cat family hunt by sight, the serval hunts primarily by hearing despite having a keen vision. It might be considered the terrestrial equivalent of an owl or bat, picking up the wavelengths of rustling, unseen rodents on the move. The serval approaches its prey soundlessly; creeping close enough to allow it to unleash its characteristic arching pounce over tall grass tops to land directly on its prey. Hunting occupies 25% of the serval s activity. Unlike most other cats, serval do not dislike water and hunt vlei rats and toads between aquatic grasses and sedges to a depth of 8 cm. Feeding & Nutrition The predominant prey of serval are rats and mice with the vlei rat Otomys angoniensis and the multimammate mouse Praomys natalensis being preferred. Small birds follow in importance, especially the finches of the genus Ploceus and Euplectes, waxbills of the genus Estrilda and red-billed queleas Quelea quelea. Smithers notes that birds as large as the peafowl Pavo cristatus and bustards Neotis sp can be taken by serval. It also stalks ducks and waders between reeds and tall sedges in water. In common with the caracal Felix caracal and leopard Panthera pardus, serval are opportunistic and kill everything in a chicken cage. Unlike the caracal and leopard however, the serval only feeds on one bird and may return for a second meal on the remaining carcasses. Live bait such as chickens is required to catch serval as they do not scavenge and cannot be lured to dead bait. Other serval prey includes reptiles (lizards chameleons, snakes), rodents (Cape hare Lepus saxatilis and the cane rat Thryonomys swinderiuanus), insects (grasshoppers and crickets) and a selection of frogs, toads and fish. Serval occasionally prey on the lambs of small buck such as the steenbok Raphicerus campestris, duiker Sylvicapra grimmia and Cephalophus spp, grysbok Raphicerus sp and gazelle, Gazella sp. Studies in Zimbabwe by Smithers and Wilson (1979) recorded the following different prey ratios from serval stomach contents: mice % rats up to 97% birds & fow up to 15% reptiles up to 12% hares up to 6% insects up to 5%

9 Page 9 of 13 toads & frogs up to 1%. The hunting success rate for serval is approximately 49-62% of attempted stalks. On average it kills 16 times per 24 hour cycle and takes up to or more rodents per serval per annum. Territory & Home range Both male and female serval hold individual territories within a huge home range of an undetermined size. Home ranges overlap those of neighbouring individuals to a great extent but the core territory is not shared. The home range of an adult male normally overlaps and shares that of two females. A female in oestrus tolerates a male in her territory for the duration of mating but outside of this time will attack the male aggressively. Studies have shown female territories to be between 160 and 200 ha. An average distance of 3-4 km is travelled per night as part of a serval s routine activity. Pre-orbital scent glands on the cheek, inter mandibular glands on the chin, inter digital glands between the paw cushions and two anal glands are used for marking. During a patrol, the paws leave a scented track on the ground, the boundary of a territory being marked by smearing vegetation with saliva from the cheek and chin. An anal urine scent is sprayed when two opponents meet each other in a close encounter. Social structure Both sexes are solitary and usually avoid social contact with other individuals. During rut and mating, an adult male and female will pair-bond temporarily for several weeks and hunt together. However, after mating the male will retreat into its own territory and the female will behave aggressively towards him until the next rut. The female raises the young alone. A single male will mate with 2-3 adult females bordering his territory. Temporary family groups of females accompanied by offspring of up to 3 kg are frequently observed.

10 Page 10 of 13 Reproduction No defined breeding season exists for serval, mating taking place whenever a female

11 Page 11 of 13 comes into oestrus. However increased mating correlates with the periodic appearance of rodent population explosions. A litter of 1-5 kittens is born after a gestation period of days, mostly in dense tall grass patches or in old burrows, dead tree trunks or even in maize fields. When disturbed the mother will relocate the young to a new den by carrying each individually in her mouth. She raises them alone and they are weaned between 3-4 weeks. Independence is reached at 6-8 months after which time they leave the mother and become nomadic until social maturity is reached at months. They then establish their own territories. Information on the productivity of serval only exists for captive populations. It has not yet been possible to predict their productivity in the wild. Bibliography Bowland, JM, Diet, home range and movement patterns of serval on farmland in Natal. M.Sc thesis, University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg. Bowland, JM & Bowland, AE, Differential passage rates of prey components through the gut of serval and black-backed jackal. Koedoe 34: Bowland, JM & Perrin, MR, Diet of serval in a highland region of Natal. S. Afr. J. Wildl. Res. 28: Furstenburg, D, Tierboskat. Game & Hunt 12(10). Geertsema, A, Impressions and observations on serval behaviour in Tanzania, East Africa. Mammalia 40:13-19.

12 Page 12 of 13 Geertsema, AA, Aspects of the ecology of the serval in the Ngorogoro Crater, Tanzania. Netherlands J. Zool. 35: Kingdon, J, East African Mammals, Vol. IIIA, Carnivores: An atlas of evolution in Africa. Academic Press, London. Nowell, K & Jackson, P, Wild Cats. Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland. 382 pp. Orban, B, Serval. Game & Hunt 7(10). Smithers, RHN, The serval. S. Afr. J. Wildl. Res. 8: Smithers, RHN, The Mammals of the Southern African Subregion. Pretoria: University of Pretoria. Stuart, CT, The distribution, status, feeding and reproduction of carnivores of the Cape Province. Research Report, Dept Nat. & Environ. Cons. Mammals 1977: Van Aarde, RJ & Skinner, JD, Pattern of space use by relocated servals. Afr. J. Ecol. 24: Ward, R, Rowland Ward s Records of Big Game, 27 tth edn. Rowland Ward Publications. Gallery Photo: Dian Furstenburg, serval adult female

13 Page 13 of 13 Photo: Dian Furstenburg, serval female youngster Photo: Deon Furstenburg, serval adult male