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This medium-sized cat is known for its extraordinarily long oval-shaped ears and the longest legs of any cat species. The serval weighs between 20 and 39 pounds. The serval lives mostly in sub-Saharan Africa and uses its large ears to scan the grasslands for rodents. Once it has located prey, the serval uses its long legs to pounce on them. It also can use its amazing leaping ability to catch birds right out of the air. When it leaps, all four legs often leave the ground. Servals have been known to leap 10 feet off the ground.

Servals live in grasslands and forests but do not inhabit desert areas in Africa. They eat frogs, lizards and snakes. Habitat destruction, loss of wetlands and hunting are the serval's major threats in the wild.

Click here to learn more about the serval and how you can help its conservation.

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