African Servals have a large home range, calling as many as 35 African countries home.
In the wild, cats and Servals do not recognize each other as potential breeding partners. The cues and pheromones are not familiar and therefore the likelihood of savannah cats being produced in the wild is extremely remote.
Serval males raised with domestic females will mate them, though the pregnancy is not always successful and human intervention may be required to raise the hybrid kittens. F1 (first generation removed from the wild) are fertile but the males of the first 3 to 4 generations are infertile / sterile (with a few exceptions). The most obvious problem in serval/domestic mating is size difference. Typical domestic cats weigh between 8 – 14 lbs with a few reaching 20 lbs. Servals are in the 30 – 40 lb range with much longer limbs.
The Serval has 3 color forms : melenistic, brown (usual) and white.
The first documented serval/domestic hybrid was reported by Suzi Wood in the Long Island ocelot Club news letter, Volume 30 Number 6, Page 15, Nov/Dec 1986. LIOC newsletter reported the birth of a 8oz female serval hybrid on April 7th 1986. The kitten, named Savannah, was born to a seal point Siamese cat and sires by a 30-35 lb serval named “Ernie” in Pennsylvania. Savannah’s weight from birth to placement was comparable to that of a an average serval cub of the same age. Her rapid growth tapered off, but she remained consistently larger than than a domestic kitten of the same age and 10 lbs at 6 months old.
Savannah’s black spotting was a was the duplication of the servals pattern, but the base or background color was grayish-brown. The pattern included light ocelli spots on the back of large prominent ears. She had long legs, a “rangy” body and medium length tail. She was vocal, an athletic climber and used the litter pan properly. From the serval side of her ancestry she became a ” accomplished hisser and slapper”, and inherited the body type, coat pattern, facial expressions, body language and wariness of strangers. Savannah preferred a raw meat diet over conventional cat food. She was reportedly very affectionate but disliked any form. of restraint.
Suzi Wood wrote, “While it has been rumoured that this type of hybrid was bred some years ago, to date research efforts in Europe as well as here in the US have not been able to document the case. For practical purposes, this kitten is considered a first of its kind. Without comparison model or a standard available, at eight weeks of age the infant’s hearing, sight reflexes and coordination were tested. All functions were excellent, as compared to general feline skills.” Wood also noted no adverse reactions to the cat flu vaccination. Wood finished the report by stating “This hybrid combination will be known as the Savannah.”
That is the history of the African serval hybrid the Savannah cat, and the story of Savannah the first of her breed.
works cited:
gleaned from; messybeast.com – Domestic x Serval and Caracal hybrids, by: Sarah Hartwell
Savannah Hybrid Cubs 