Serval this name dates back to 1771. Another name for the serval is "tierboskat", Afrikaans for tiger-bush-cat. The serval is a slender, medium-sized cat; it stands at the shoulder and weighs , but females tend to be lighter. The head-and-body length is typically between . Males tend to be sturdier than females. Prominent characteristics include the small head, large ears, spotted and striped coat, long legs and a black-tipped tail that is around long. The serval has the longest legs of any cat relative to its body size, largely due to the greatly elongated metatarsal bones in the feet. The toes
Serval blows and even bites, and may be consumed even as they are moving. Larger prey, such as larger birds, are killed by a sprint followed by a leap to catch them as they are trying to flee, and are eaten slowly. Servals have been observed caching large kills to be consumed later by concealing them in dead leaves and grasses. Servals typically get rid of the internal organs of rodents while eating, and pluck feathers from birds before consuming them. During a leap, a serval can reach more than above the ground and cover a horizontal distance of up to