Living BeingsCompare species
Serval
Leptailurus serval
African Golden Cat
Caracal auratus
Evidence from the profiles
Compare their characteristics
| Trait | Serval | African Golden Cat |
|---|---|---|
| Physical traits | Large ears, long legs and a spotted coat give it a distinctive outline. | The body is robust and the coat varies between reddish and grayish forms. Spotting can be more visible on some parts of the body. |
| Habitat and range | Grasslands, reed beds and other covered habitats near suitable hunting grounds are used. | Dense African forest and secondary growth provide cover and hunting habitat. |
| Diet and nutrition | Small mammals are particularly important, with birds and additional animals supplementing the diet. | Rodents and other forest mammals are important prey. Birds and additional small animals may also be taken. |
| Behavior and activity | Servals listen closely and use leaps or pounces to catch concealed prey. Activity timing can change with local conditions and disturbance. | It is generally solitary and difficult to observe in dense cover. Sparse observations should not be treated as a complete account of its daily behavior. |
| Geographic distribution | The Mammal Diversity Database v2.5 records this species in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Algeria?, Lesotho?. | The Mammal Diversity Database v2.5 records this species in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Benin?, Burundi?, Gambia?, Guinea-Bissau?, Kenya?, Rwanda?, Senegal?, Sudan?, Togo?. |
Classification
Shared ancestry
Closest shared taxon: Felinae.
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