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Post by sebbe67 on Mar 1, 2005 21:54:19 GMT
Lynchailurus serval constantinus
North African serval or barbary serval
It was first discovered1780. This is the least known wild cat species in Africa its a very poorly known subpspecies of serval that once lived from Marocco to Tunisia.
IUCN has listed the subspecies as maybe extinct in all three countries.
It is estimated the North African Serval has been isolated from the sub-Sarahan species for a very long period - perhaps as long as 6,000 to 7,000 years with only a small isolated pocket existing there.
Servals become increasingly rare in North Africa where they once flourished. During the late 1890 early 1910 hunting, habitat lost, poisoined and trapping made this subspecies extremly rare in North Africa and it did probably go extinct beacuse of these reasons.
there have been unconfirmed reports of sightings of the subspecies the latest in the 1960. But these are probably from the African wild cat.
There is different information on when it was last recorded but it seems like the last confirmed sigthings of this subspecies are from Algeria in the 1936, early 1937.
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Post by another specialist on May 27, 2005 21:06:23 GMT
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Post by sebbe67 on Nov 4, 2005 12:16:29 GMT
It is estimated the North African Serval has been isolated from the sub-Sarahan species for a very long period - perhaps as long as 6,000 to 7,000 years with only a small isolated pocket existing there . Servals are becoming increasingly rare in North Africa with no confirmed sightings in the countries of Algeria, Morocco, or Tunisia since the late 1930s where they once flourished.
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Post by another specialist on Nov 4, 2005 18:34:11 GMT
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Post by Bowhead Whale on Nov 23, 2005 20:36:50 GMT
!!!  A serval is now extinct!? Already!!?? I thought those felines were quite common! At least, not in danger. I'm really, truly, negatively surprized. A serval. So, big mammals are still disappearing... |
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Post by Peter on Nov 23, 2005 21:35:44 GMT
It is the only Cerval subspecies listed on the IUCN red list, and listed as Endangered (but that dates back from the 1996 list). So maybe the 2005 list will list it as Extinct or Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct). Sadly many animals have became extinct in North Africa, also predators like the Barbary Lion and the Atlas Bear.
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Post by another specialist on Nov 24, 2005 7:41:19 GMT
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Post by another specialist on Nov 24, 2005 7:49:10 GMT
 The serval ranges both in North Africa, with possible relict isolated population in Morocco’s Atlas Mts., N Tunisia and Algeria, and in Sub-Saharan Africa. Its distribution range was obtained from the map published by Nowell & Jackson (1996),), and revised by Dr. P. Jackson (28 April ‘97). In Fig. 3.2.7.a both the northern African population and a little area in Cape Province in the extreme South of South Africa are marked as possible, due to uncertain or unconfirmed serval presence there (Nowell & Jackson, 1996). www.gisbau.uniroma1.it/amd/amd041.html |
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Post by Carlos on Dec 16, 2005 17:57:11 GMT
I have just been given an official brochure entitled "Guide du Parc National d'El Feidja", published by the Tunisian Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, mentionig the presence of Leptailurus serval constantinus in that National Park, created to preserve one of the last populations of Cervus elaphus barbarus. I don't know to what extent this information is reliable, but at least it is "official". This not very large National Park (just 2632 ha) is covered by an almost pristine oak forest, though. So the habitat is good, the refuge for an small population of this species is also possible and the news of the North African Serval still surviving there (if true) is is a very good one  |
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Post by Peter on Dec 16, 2005 21:00:55 GMT
That would indeed be very good news!
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Post by Bucardo on Dec 16, 2005 22:13:32 GMT
!!! A serval is now extinct!? Already!!?? I thought those felines were quite common! At least, not in danger. I'm really, truly, negatively surprized. A serval. So, big mammals are still disappearing... Not only one... the Cape Serval ( L. s. serval) is also extinct. |
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Post by Carlos on Dec 16, 2005 22:22:11 GMT
...the news of the North African Serval still surviving there (if true) is is a very good one Sadly enough, after doing what I should have done before posting(I made a search on the net about the presence of this cat in Tunisia) I found out that the present population al El Feidja NP come from a reintroduction made in 1995, most likely from some sub-saharan stock, after the original subspecies was long lost in that country. So sorry for the unfunded hope of the survival of L. serval constantinus in Tunisia. The source is this document: www.vivexpo.org/foire/images/ben_mhamed02.doc |
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Post by another specialist on Dec 17, 2005 5:26:20 GMT
Thanks carlos for the information but a shame though that it seems its gone forever
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Post by another specialist on Dec 17, 2005 5:29:11 GMT
Conservation Status The serval is reasonably widespread and relatively common throughout Africa. It also breeds well in captivity. The IUCN Red List has the North African serval (F. (L.) s. constantinus) as Endangered but all other servals as Least Concern. (Cat News 23, 1995, p.21) In the Cape region of southern Africa servals were historically restricted to the coastal belt, and inland to east of 24° East Longitude. This is where most of the human pressure is concentrated. They are now extinct in the Cape Province of South Africa. Natural repopulation seems unlikely, so reintroduction is the only option. Caracals seem to have been able to adapt to the habitat degradation better than the servals (Serval Extinct in Cape Province of South Africa. Cat News 4, 1986, p. 10-11). Servals are reputed to be easy to hunt, and will run up a tree if chased by dogs. Then they can be easily shot. The principle threats they face in the rest of their ranges are habitat loss and persecution (Serval Research in South Africa. Cat News 13, 1990, p. 18). Servals are believed to be responsible for sheep and poultry losses. Blackbacked jackal and caracal are more likely to be the culprits. Servals also get trapped easily. It is unfortunate for the serval that it has such beautiful fur. People still demand the skins of spotted cats. members.aol.com/cattrust/serval.htm |
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Post by Bucardo on Apr 27, 2006 0:07:34 GMT
From Catalogue des mammiferes sauvages du Maroc (“Catalogue of the wild mammals of Morocco”).
Stéphane Aulagner & Michel Thevenot. Travaux de L’Institut Scientifique, 1986
Felis serval constantina Forster, 1780 Serval
(Leptailurus serval)
Exclusively African species, the Serval is not found above the 20ºN parallel. In the Maghreb, it is currently very rare, perhaps extinct. Its presence in Morocco never was established with certainty. HEIM THE BALSAC (1948) signals two furs for sale, MONTEIL (1951) talks about the skin of a “Guerzam” (not given by the Teknas as a leopard) killed to the south of Aouinet Torkoz (south Anti-Atlas), PANOUSE (1957) adds that the local hunters give the arabic name of “Fahed” to the Cheetah. Finally, SMITHERS (1971) mentions it in the environment of Bin el Ouidane (Middle Atlas) without determine the origin of this data (!).
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Post by another specialist on Apr 27, 2006 11:35:35 GMT
thanks for sharing us this information Bucardo - some new facts i didn't know personally myself
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Post by sebbe67 on Sept 26, 2007 20:39:07 GMT
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Post by another specialist on Sept 26, 2007 22:27:03 GMT
Were they recent or fresh? or were they old? |
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Post by sebbe67 on Sept 27, 2007 16:11:37 GMT
Were they recent or fresh? or were they old? Dont know, you have to subscribe to read the whole arcticle. |
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Post by another specialist on Sept 27, 2007 21:09:59 GMT
thanks sebbe
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A serval is now extinct!? Already!!?? I thought those felines were quite common! At least, not in danger. I'm really, truly, negatively surprized. A serval. So, big mammals are still disappearing...
