Research overview: serval distribution and wetland-savanna habitat

The serval ranges widely across sub-Saharan Africa, with relict populations in the far north, and is closely tied to well-watered grasslands, reedbeds, and the margins of wetlands and floodplains. This overview compiles habitat studies showing the cat preference for tall grass and dense ground cover near water, where rodent prey is abundant and where its hunting style is most effective. Servals avoid arid open desert and dense forest interior but exploit a mosaic of marsh, savanna, and even some agricultural mosaics. Because the species tracks productive moist habitats rather than any single vegetation type, conservation attention focuses on wetland protection and on the way water management and grassland conversion reshape where servals can thrive.