alotaspotsavannahs.com

A Serval's habitat ranges from tall grasslands, savannahs, woods, brushes, forests and marsh. Servals are found through the middle and southern parts of Africa. They are almost always centered around water, which is why the range does not include the driest areas of the continent including parts of the Sahara desert. The typical Serval diet consists of rodents, insects and small birds caught in mid-air.

The gestation period is around 63 days, after which 2-3 babies are born. They will stay with their mother until around 10 months of age. Servals can live 20 years in captivity.

http://www.servals.org/home.htm

The Serval has been kept in Europe as a pet for many centuries and has just recently gained popularity in the United States. Servals are one of the few wildcats that make a good companion. They bond very strongly with the caretakers. They do not become aggressive as they mature. They are extremely affectionate and for cat lovers they are the ultimate cat.

Please note: When you accept the responsibility of caring for any animal like a Serval, you must realize that the animal depends on you not just for food, shelter and medical care, but also depends on you for companionship and love. Each Serval has their individual personalities and quirks, so each is different. A Serval may bond with you and never bond with another person for the rest of its life. This may make it hard for the Serval if you decide that you cannot care for it anymore. A move or rehoming is always difficult on a Serval. Not many people want to spend decades caring for an animal that they can't have a relationship with. Bear this in mind and realize that a Serval may live up to 20 years. The Serval will depend on you for that length of time. Some Servals may be able to bond with a new owner but that is not a guarantee. Even at best, bonding with a new owner takes quite some time.

It is not a good idea to have a Serval in a home with small children (under 6) because he will most likely consider his brother or sister a playmate and could accidentally hurt him. Additionally, in most states, a permit is required to own a Serval. Although beautiful creatures, these factors make it difficult to just anyone to own a Serval. Like with any pet it is important to do research and see exactly what ownership entails. Owing and caring for an exotic cat takes daily commitment.

This is why the Savannah cat is the best of both worlds. They are exotic hybrid cats that have the disposition and domestication of their house cat relatives with the distinct look and attributes of their Serval grandparents.

More about the Serval

African Serval or the Leptailrus Serval

Serval is Portuguese for "wolf-deer"

Wild adult Servals weight 30-45 lbs. and stand about 22" tall at the shoulders with males larger than females. They are 25 - 40" long, with a 12 - 18" tail. Captive/bred Servals tend to be on the smaller scale.

Servals are a medium-sized cat with golden coats containing bold black rosettes. They have big ears with distinct white oceli (white spots on the back of the ear) and long, slender legs.

Patrick Kelly’s enthusiasm and vision for establishing a new domestic breed based on the Serval / domestic Cat cross prompted him to research what steps would be needed to be recognized and accepted by an official feline registry. Armed with that information, obtained from Leslie Bowers at TICA, Patrick approached numerous breeders of Servals and encouraged them to attempt the development of this new breed. Eventually it grew into what it is today. These cats continue to be highly coveted because of their uniqueness. They are like no other cat you have ever seen.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savannah_(cat)