Serval vs caracal
Both are long-legged African cats about the size of a large dog, and both have big ears. The coat and the ear tips are the giveaway.
Quick tip: Spots mean serval. A plain coat with tufted ears means caracal.
Five field marks
| Field mark | Serval | Caracal |
|---|---|---|
| Coat | Golden with bold black spots and stripes. | Plain tawny or reddish, with no spots. |
| Ears | Very large and rounded, with a white spot on the back. | Long and pointed, with black tufts at the tips. |
| Legs | Very long and slender. | Strong, with powerful hindquarters. |
| Tail | Short, ringed and black-tipped. | Short and plain. |
| Habitat | Wet grassland and reedbeds. | Drier scrub, savanna and semi-desert. |
Five real camera-trap photos. Can you tell them apart?
Why it matters
Both cats are listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, but both lose habitat to farming and are sometimes killed in conflict with livestock owners. Camera-trap surveys help track them across protected areas.
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Photos: Snapshot Safari via LILA BC, CDLA-Permissive-1.0. We cropped camera banners, resized the images and removed their metadata. Field marks written by Save the Animals. Red List status from the IUCN.