Serval cat in the grass. Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania.
The serval is a long lanky feline found in sub-Saharan Africa. It looks like a big house cat, except for its oddly small head and generously long legs.
Its scientific name, Leptailurus, is a combo-pak out of the Greek, meaning "delicate cat." The common name "serval" is simply Portuguese for "lynx."
This one was spotted on the crater floor at Ngorongoro. We watched it for a while until a group of lions approached. The serval beat a hasty exit.
