The Key Differences Between Serval and Caracal: What are the Key Differences?

Africa is home to some of the most incredible predators on Earth, with many referring to cats as the best hunters. Cats are deadly predators that can kill prey multiple times their size, no matter how big or small they may be. The caracal and the service are two of Africa’s top feline predators. They are similar in many ways, but they have some differences. Let’s look at the differences between Serval and Caracal today.

Let’s get started!

Comparison of a Caracal & a Serval

These are the 6 major differences between a caracal & a serval.

A caracal is a different animal than a serval. They are more golden brown and have black ear tufts. Servals are yellow with dark spots and don’t have any ear tufts. They also occupy a smaller area than the caracal.

The serval and the caracal are both medium-sized cats. However, they are often referred to simply as “small cats”. It makes sense when compared to a tiger or lion. The caracal is still slightly bigger and more powerful than the serval, but this is not a major difference.

These two cats are very similar evolutionary-wise. They are both felines, but they appear to share a common ancestor. According to current data, the common ancestor of the two was found to have lived around 8.5 million years ago. Despite their differences, there are still some important differences between them.

Let’s look at these differences more closely below.

Caracal vs. Serval: Pattern and Color

Their color is the best way to distinguish between a caracal serval and a serval. They are very different cats, but they look nothing alike. Caracals are golden brown or tan cats without any patterns. Their ears are black and white and have some black coloration around their mouths. They are solid-colored. They look similar to the North American Lynx, though the caracal is shorter and more elongated.

The beautiful serval cat is distinguished by its light golden body and black-spotted pattern. Their inner legs and underbelly are white. Sometimes, their spotted pattern can morph into stripes across their bodies. Although there are rare cases of melanistic or leucistic cats, these individuals are not common. Although the pattern of the serval is very similar to that of an ocelot, it is significantly lighter and lankier than the ocelot.

Caracal vs. Serval: Eartufts

Ear tufts are another distinguishing feature between them. The ear tufts of caracals are usually black or white and can be distinguished by their distinct color. The ear tufts are visible from all angles of the cat and extend a few inches beyond the ear. Although there isn’t consensus about the purpose of the ear tufts’ existence, some theories suggest that they are used to communicate with the cat, keep insects away from its ears, and break up the cat’s outline in the grass. The name caracal comes from a Turkish term that means “black-eared”.

The serval does not have distinct ear tufts like the caracal. Another feature is how big their ears are relative to their heads. The ears of a serval can be moved around to find prey. The ears of servals are often striped with either a white or black streak.

Caracal vs. Serval: Active Hours

Caracals are primarily nocturnal animals, meaning they are most active after the sunsets. However, caracals can still be active during the day in some cases. According to some studies, they are more active when temperatures drop below 68 degrees F.

The hours it is active is when the serval is most active. The majority of servals are active in the day and night depending on the day. Serval activity usually peaks between midmorning, dusk, and midnight. If the weather is colder, servals will be more active. Like other predators, servals will also rest in the shade during the day’s hottest hours.

Hunting Habitat vs. Serval: Caracal vs. Serval

Caracals can hunt all kinds of prey and are excellent hunters. However, their habitat is very different from that of the serval. Caracals prefer to hunt in dry regions of Africa and the Middle East. Caracals love to hunt in semi-arid areas, deep brush, and grasslands because their coats are more effective at camouflaging them.

Servals hunt in wetter environments than caracals. Although they share a similar prey list, Servals are more suited to hunting around water. These cats can hunt in grasslands and bamboo thickets and wetlands (primarily close to reeds).