Species comparison
Jungle Cat vs Serval
A side-by-side look at Felis chaus and Leptailurus serval across body measurements, habitat, diet, behaviour and conservation status.
At a glance
- The serval averages about 1.3 times the body mass of the jungle cat.
- Both species use wetland and grassland.
- Their ranges both include Africa.
- Both are currently listed as Least Concern on the Red List.
Identification
How each species is named and classified.
Jungle Cat
Felis chaus
Serval
Leptailurus serval
Jungle Cat
Felis
Serval
Leptailurus
Jungle Cat
Domestic cat lineage
Serval
Caracal lineage
Jungle Cat
Small cats
Serval
Medium-sized cats
Jungle Cat
Reed cat, Swamp cat
Serval
Tierboskat
Body and movement
Published field measurements for adults. Ranges cover both sexes unless noted.
Jungle Cat
20 in – 3 ft 1 in (50–94 cm)
Serval
2 ft 2 in – 3 ft 3 in (67–100 cm) Longer
Jungle Cat
8 in – 14 in (20–36 cm)
Serval
9 in – 18 in (24–45 cm) Longer
Jungle Cat
14 in – 15 in (35–38 cm)
Serval
21 in – 2 ft 2 in (54–66 cm) Taller
Jungle Cat
6.6–35 lb (3–16 kg)
Most adults fall between 4 and 8 kg; the largest records come from the north of the range.
Serval
15–40 lb (7–18 kg) Heavier
Males average about 11 kg, females about 9.7 kg.
Jungle Cat
Not reliably measured
Not measured in the field.
Serval
Not reliably measured
Rarely measured; the serval is known for leaping rather than for sprinting.
Life span
Typical adult longevity. Figures for managed care come from zoo and sanctuary records.
Jungle Cat
10–12 years
Serval
10–12 years
Jungle Cat
15–20 years
Serval
20–23 years Longer
Habitat and range
Where each species lives and the conditions it tolerates.
Jungle Cat
wetland, agricultural mosaic, grassland, dry forest
Reedbeds, marsh margins, tall grassland, riverine thickets and irrigated farmland; it avoids both rainforest and true desert.
Serval
wetland, grassland, savanna, montane forest
Well-watered grassland, reedbeds, marsh edges and moist savanna. The species depends on tall vegetation and permanent water, and avoids dry open plains.
Jungle Cat
Asia, Africa
From Egypt and the Middle East through the Caucasus, Central Asia, India and Sri Lanka to southern China and mainland South East Asia.
Serval
Africa
Widespread across sub-Saharan Africa, with a small and threatened remnant in Morocco and Algeria in the north.
Diet and behaviour
Feeding ecology, social organisation and hunting technique.
Jungle Cat
small mammals, birds, fish, reptiles
Rodents dominate, supplemented by waterbirds, fish, frogs, snakes and hares.
Serval
small mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, amphibians
Vlei rats and other rodents supply most of the diet, along with frogs, lizards, insects and birds taken in flight.
Jungle Cat
Solitary
Solitary and territorial, though it is more visible than most small cats because it hunts in open cropland.
Serval
Solitary
Adults hold overlapping ranges centred on wetland; individuals are more tolerant of one another than most solitary cats where prey is abundant.
Jungle Cat
Crepuscular and partly diurnal
Active around dawn and dusk with substantial daytime hunting, particularly in winter and in undisturbed areas.
Serval
Crepuscular and nocturnal
Two clear activity peaks around dawn and dusk, with additional night-time hunting; servals rest in dense grass during the heat of the day.
Jungle Cat
Active search in dense vegetation
Moves steadily through reeds and crops, flushing rodents and birds, and will wade into shallow water after fish and frogs.
Serval
Acoustic location and vertical pounce
The cat stands still, rotates its ears to pinpoint rustling, then leaps up and forward, striking downward with both forepaws.
Jungle Cat
Capable
Climbs when needed but hunts almost entirely on the ground.
Serval
Capable
Climbs competently but spends almost all its time on the ground.
Jungle Cat
Strong More developed
Comfortable in water, swimming across channels and hunting in shallow marsh.
Serval
Capable
Comfortable in shallow water and marsh, wading through flooded grassland while hunting.
Conservation
Red List category, population direction and the pressures documented for each species.
Jungle Cat
LC — Least Concern
Assessed 2016
Serval
LC — Least Concern
Assessed 2015
Jungle Cat
Decreasing
Serval
Stable
Jungle Cat
Wetland drainage, Agricultural intensification, Killing near poultry, Road mortality, Poisoning of rodent prey
Still widespread, but wetland drainage, intensified agriculture and killing near poultry have caused declines in the western part of the range, especially in Egypt and the Middle East.
Serval
Wetland drainage and conversion, Grassland burning regimes, Killing for skins used in ceremonial dress, Trade as exotic pets and for hybrid breeding, Loss of North African populations
Secure across much of sub-Saharan Africa, though wetland drainage removes the habitat it depends on, and the North African population is critically small.
Notable traits
Details that do not fit neatly into a measurement table.
Jungle Cat
- Mummified jungle cats have been recovered from ancient Egyptian tombs.
- It is the largest species in the genus that also contains the domestic cat.
- Kittens show faint stripes that fade almost completely in adults.
Serval
- A serval can leap roughly ten feet in a single bound to catch a bird taking off.
- Its legs are proportionally the longest of any cat, an adaptation to seeing over tall grass.
- Recorded hunting success rates in some studies approach one kill for every two attempts, unusually high for a felid.
Sources used for this comparison
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Global assessment categories, population trends and documented threats.
- IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group Species accounts, distribution notes and Cat News reporting for every wild felid.
- Small Wild Cat Conservation Foundation Dedicated research and field reporting on the lesser-known felids.
- Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology Reviewed species accounts with morphometric ranges and reproductive data.
- National Geographic — Animals General natural-history reference for behaviour, range and ecology.
- Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute Body measurements, longevity records and life-history notes.