serval

Everyday

A slim wild cat of African grasslands, with long legs, very large ears and a golden coat with black spots and stripes. It leaps high to catch birds and rodents. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons on animals and habitats the serval shows how body shape fits a way of hunting: big ears hear rodents underground and long legs let it jump over tall grass. In stories it is an African wild cat, not a pet. Some people keep servals illegally or in special permits, which wildlife groups warn is bad for the animal.

Examples

• The serval has the longest legs for its size of any cat. tree →
• A serval can leap high into the air to catch a bird. tree →
• Its huge ears help the serval hear mice under the grass. tree →
• We saw a serval at the wildlife park in Kent. tree →
• Servals live in the grasslands of Africa near water. tree →
• The serval's coat has black spots on gold, a bit like a cheetah's. tree →
• A serval is a wild animal and does not make a good house pet. tree →

Note

Countable: one serval, two servals. Say «SER-vul». Not the same as a cheetah or leopard, though its spots look alike; it is much smaller, about the size of a big house cat but taller.