National Geographic Kids USA – September 2019

FEDERICO VERONESI / GETTY IMAGES (NECK); DENIS-HUOT / MINDEN PICTURES (LEG); OLE JORGEN LIODDEN /
14 NAT GEO KIDS^ • SEPTEMBER 2019 MINDEN PICTURES (TAIL); MARTIN HARVEY / GETTY IMAGES (SERVAL); PETE OXFORD / MINDEN PICTURES (OCELOT)

STICKING THEIR

NECKS OUT

When savanna winds drown

out the sounds of their prey,

servals extend their giraffe-

like necks to help them see

instead of hear. By craning

their necks over the tall grass

they’re hiding in, the cats can

get a better look at their prey.

A serval’s neck also helps it

pinpoint its pounce. If a serval

can only hear its prey, the cat

will leap toward the noise. It

can then use its neck (which is

part of its extra-flexible spine)

to adjust its direction midair

after it’s finally gotten a look at

its food. The moment before

landing, soaring servals tilt

their necks down to get a

better glimpse of their target

and position their front paws

for impact. Most of the time

they stick the landing, finishing

the prey instantly.

SE

RV

A

LS

O

CE

LO

T

S

Servals vs. Ocelots

Servals and

ocelots are

both small,

solitary,

nocturnal

hunters.

Take a look

at other ways

these wild

cats stack up.

Grassy savanna and

wetlands in parts of

northwest Africa and

much of sub-Saharan

Africa

Tropical forests, shrub-

lands, and grasslands in

South, Central, and

North America

WHERE THEY LIVE

Serval

predators include

African wild dogs,

hyenas, and

leopards.