Many people are familiar with cheetahs. They are the fastest animals on land. They’re the sentinels of the savannas, often perched on rocks overlooking the world around them. The black tear streaks stretching from their eyes down to their chins are one of their most identifying features, and there is more to them than just their speed!
Not as many people are familiar with servals. One of the most successful feline hunters, they succeed in their hunts about 50% of the time, far exceeding that of the big cats. Their large ears move independently on their head as they stalk through the tall grass in search of frogs and other small animals. Their legs are the longest in relation to their body of any feline, pushing them further in their pursuits, and allowing them to leap fifteen feet into the air.
Here at Turpentine Creek there are no cheetahs, but there are many servals. It’s not uncommon to be asked about the baby cheetahs around the refuge, and, while that would be cute, those are full grown felines with their own biology! So we’ll be outlining some of the differences between cheetahs and servals to help people understand.
Size
First and foremost, the most obvious difference between the two is their size. While it is debated whether or not cheetahs are big cats, there is no question that servals are not. While servals are still much larger than the average house cat, they’re nowhere near the size of the cheetah.
The average size of each animal can vary between genders because of something called sexual dimorphism – this is where we can see a clear distinction between male and females in a species. This is the same for humans, where we can see a different average size between males and females.
Features
One of the serval’s most notable features are their large ears. Capable of rotating independently, this allows them to hear faint sounds, like small critters running through the brush far away, and animals hidden beneath the soil!
Cheetahs have black streaks that go from the corners of their eyes to the corners of their mouth. This is a very identifiable feature on them. It’s believe that, because cheetahs will hunt during the day, these dark tear streaks protect their eyes from the glare of the sun. This ensures them a better chance finding prey to sprint.
Abilities
The serval’s big ears allow them to hunt for prey buried in the soil. Their long legs aid them in hunting this prey. They will often pounce on these small creatures in a jump similar to that pictured above, jumping high into the air so they can torpedo back to the ground. This allows them to break through the dirt quickly and access the hiding critter. Their prowess jumping also allows them to catch birds mid-flight! Also, the serval is able to cover further distances with their longer legs, hunting in a wider territory than many other small felines.
The cheetah uses their long legs to reach their phenomenal speed which can average around 60 miles per hour. With something called “stride frequency” we see that cheetahs are able to swing their long legs even faster, while also covering a greater distance. Their long legs also give them an impressive forward leap, as they often have to take that final jump to land on their prey.
So, as you might be able to tell, there are a lot of differences between servals and cheetahs. Beginning first with their different sizes, we can see this effect their notable features, like the servals large ears and the cheetah’s visible tear streaks. We can see this also effect their abilities. The cheetahs size and shape have to do with their ability to run so fast, and the serval’s size and shape allows them to succeed as a meso-predator! Each animal’s adaptations help them survive in their own unique ways.
Sources
- Cheetah.org
- Latest Sightings
*Published by Laynie Rodzon on 06/21/25*