Research overview: the serval as a rodent-hunting specialist

Foraging studies cast the serval as one of the most specialized rodent hunters among cats, with rodents often making up the large majority of prey by number. This overview synthesizes observations of its distinctive vertical pounce, in which the cat leaps high and strikes downward with forepaws to pin prey hidden in grass. Reported hunting success rates are unusually high for a felid, reflecting precise prey location and an efficient killing technique. Birds, frogs, reptiles, and insects round out the diet. The serval reliance on small, fast-reproducing prey lets it reach relatively high local densities where rodents are plentiful, and it explains the close coupling between serval abundance and the productivity of grassland small-mammal communities.