Serval in protected areas across its range, and hunting of servals is either prohibited or regulated in several countries. The scientific name of the serval is "Leptailurus serval". It is the sole member of the genus "Leptailurus". The species was first described by German naturalist Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber as "Felis serval". In 1858, Russian naturalist Nikolai Severtzov proposed the genus name "Leptailurus". In the 19th and 20th centuries, some taxonomists inspected serval skins and identified two species on the basis of coat pattern: "Felis serval" (serval), with large, pronounced spots, and "F. servalina" or "F. ornata" (servaline cat), marked
Serval kills it with a bite on the neck or the head. Mating takes place at different times of the year in different parts of their range, but typically once or twice a year in an area. After a gestational period of two to three months, a litter of one to four is born. Weaning occurs at one month, and kittens begin hunting on their own at six months. The juveniles leave their mother at 12 months. The serval prefers areas with cover such as reeds and tall grasses and proximity to water bodies, such as wetlands and savannahs. It occurs