A serval is a medium sized African cat measuring approx 85 cm in length plus a 40 cm tail. They are slender with long legs (the longest of all cats relative to body size) tall oval ears set close together with a varied fur pattern on the back of the ears. The long legs and neck allow the serval to see over tall grasses, while its ears are used to detect rodents, even those burrowing under ground. While hunting the serval will pause for up to 15 mins at a time to listen with eyes closed. The serval pounce is a distinctive “hop” which may be an adaptation for catching flushed birds and they can jump almost 10 feet off the ground. Their life expectancy is about 12 years in the wild and up to 20 years in captivity.