serval

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Related to servals: Leptailurus

ser·val

(sûr′vəl, sər-văl′)

A long-legged African wildcat (Leptailurus serval), having a tawny coat with black spots and very large erect ears without tufts.

[French, from Portuguese (lobo) cerval, deerlike (wolf), lynx, from Late Latin cervālis, from Latin cervus, deer; see ker- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

serval

(ˈsɜːvəl)

n, pl -vals or -val

(Animals) a slender feline mammal, Felis serval, of the African bush, having an orange-brown coat with black spots, large ears, and long legs

[C18: via French from Late Latin cervālis staglike, from Latin cervus a stag]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ser•val

(ˈsɜr vəl)

n., pl. -vals, (esp. collectively) -val.

a long-limbed, nocturnal African cat, Felis serval, about the size of a bobcat, having a tawny coat spotted with black.

[1765–75; < New Latin < Portuguese (lobo) cerval lynx, literally, staglike (wolf) < Late Latin cervālis deerlike]

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Noun

serval - slender long-legged African wildcat having large untufted ears and tawny black-spotted coat

Felis serval

Felis, genus Felis - type genus of the Felidae: true cats and most wildcats

wildcat - any small or medium-sized cat resembling the domestic cat and living in the wild

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References in periodicals archive ?

Rabat A zebra, nine addax, eight Barbary sheep, eight servals, eight Dorcas gazelles, eight Bald ibis, and a Dama gazelle were born, amongst other animals, said the Rabat Zoo in a press release.Some of these animals are critically endangered.

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Servals have large ears and a tan or yellowish coat with black spots.

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As seen in this video, a range of big cats -- including servals, lions, and even a white tiger -- are gamers too:

Animals Playing Video Games: Call of the Wild Meets Call of Duty [VIDEOS]

Nearby were two hyenas who were playing roughly and running around their sizeable concrete enclosure, leading onto an extensive collection of big cats, the first of which were two Servals, dozing in their sunny cage.

Sofia zoo

Fauna Communications Research Institute recorded and analyzed the purrs of 47 felids, including cheetahs, pumas, servals, ocelots, and domestic cats.