{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "serval",
  "name": "Serval",
  "scientificName": "Leptailurus serval",
  "category": "Mammal",
  "summary": "The serval is a slender African wild cat with the longest legs relative to body size of any felid, huge ears, and a high vertical pounce that plucks birds and rodents from tall grass. Weighing 9–18 kg (20–40 lb), it hunts in savannas and wetlands and is Least Concern across sub-Saharan Africa.",
  "conservationStatus": "Least Concern",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Mammalia",
    "order": "Carnivora",
    "family": "Felidae",
    "genus": "Leptailurus"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 12,
    "lengthM": 1,
    "topSpeedKmh": 80,
    "lifespanYears": 19
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Leptailurus serval"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Carnivore — rodents, birds, frogs, and insects"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "African savannas, grasslands, and wetlands near water"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "10–19 years in the wild"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "9–18 kg (20–40 lb); males larger"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "Up to 80 km/h (50 mph); pounces 3+ metres vertically"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Least Concern (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Savannas, grasslands, and wetlands of sub-Saharan Africa, absent from rainforest interiors and the Sahara Desert.",
    "continents": [
      "Africa"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Leptailurus serval.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Leptailurus%20serval&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Leptailurus serval. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Leptailurus_serval/"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/serval/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/serval/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}