Caracal or serval?
How to tell them apart
The serval has no ear tufts, a spotted coat, longer legs and a longer tail.
The caracal has long black ear tufts and a plain reddish-tan coat without spots.
Quick answers
They differ on 1 of the 8 quick answers: awake when.
| Question | Caracal | Serval |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | Mammal | Mammal |
| Carnivore? | Yes | Yes |
| Dangerous? | Can be | Can be |
| Domesticated? | No | No |
| Awake when? differs | Night | Day & night |
| Hibernates? | No | No |
| Kept as a pet? | No | No |
| Do people eat it? | No | No |
At a glance
| Question | Caracal | Serval |
|---|---|---|
| Found in differs | Africa, Asia | Africa |
| Habitat differs | Grassland, Scrub, Desert, Forest | Grassland, Wetland |
| Size | Medium | Medium |
| Length differs | Males 78–108 cm, females 71–103 cm (head and body) | 67–100 cm (head and body) |
| Weight differs | 7–19 kg | 8–18 kg |
| Legs | 4 | 4 |
| Covered in | Fur | Fur |
| Lives | Alone | Alone |
| Lives for differs | 12–17 years | 10–20 years |
| Can fly | No | No |
| Swims | No | No |
| Lays eggs | No | No |
About each
Caracal
A slender, long-legged wild cat with a reddish-tan coat and long black ear tufts; its name comes from the Turkish for "black ear". It lives alone or in pairs, hunts mostly at night, and prefers dry country.
Everything on the caracal page
Serval
A slender, medium-sized African wild cat with a small head, big ears and a golden coat spotted and striped with black. It has the longest legs of any cat for its size, and hunts by listening for rodents in tall grass and reeds, then pouncing.
Sources
Last reviewed . The answers and notes come from each animal's own page, where every source is listed.
How each answer is decided: How we answer. More look-alikes: Side by side.