Unusual Pets: The Serval

Servals are wild African cats which are also known as Leptailurus Serval. Their most distinctive features are the tall oval ears which are placed very closely to each other. They are found in African countries which have water such as Ethiopia, Benin, Tanzania, Mozambique, Congo, Angola, Togo, Uganda, Transvaal, and Algeria.

The average length of the body of a serval is about thirty-four inches and the tail is about sixteen inches long. It can live from twelve years to twenty years. A Serval’s weight can range from twenty to forty four pounds. Its tawny fur has a pattern of round black spots. The servaline or female form, which is much smaller in size, has freckled spots. Servals have melanin in their skin which sometimes gives them the appearance of a black panther. Servals with white fur and grayish silver spots have shown up in captive born animals, but this is not very common.

Servals with the highest melanin content are found in mountainous areas, while the rest live in savannas, bush lands, marshlands, grasslands, reed bed marshes, bamboo forests and open woodlands. The serval is not able to live in desert or semi-desert areas because its habitat must have a body of water and the odd tree. Since its environment contains water and trees it has the ability to swim and climb trees, although it seldom does. Servals have the longest legs among wild cats when the body to leg ratio is considered. In addition to having long ears and legs, it also has a long neck which helps it to see its prey when it is hiding in tall grass. The hearing of a Serval is so sensitive that it can detect and track rodents which are moving underground. Servals increase their concentration while listening, by closing their eyes.

Before pursing its prey, a Serval pauses for a few minutes and listens to the animal’s movements. Servals rely on their hearing more than their visual capabilities. Servals have a characteristic hop which makes it easier for them to catch birds. They have terrific leaping and pouncing abilities. They can jump as high as sixteen feet and can make a horizontal jump of up to twenty feet with precise accuracy. They can even dig burrows and look for rodents deep in the ground. With all these abilities, Servals are very good hunters. In fact Servals have the highest success rate of all wild cats in catching their prey. Their average is 50% of attempts while most cats average near ten percent. Servals feed mainly on rodents, but also eat birds, fish, frogs, insects, rabbits, reptiles and hyraxes. Servals eat their catch really fast and sometimes when the prey is big, it will get caught in their throat, so they will have to cough it out and then eat it again. They do a lot of their hunting at night when their success rate increases to approximately 67%.

When kept in captivity, they need to be served one to three pounds of raw meat with bones every day. Their meat should never be cooked. In addition to their raw meat diet, which can be beef, turkey, or chicken, they can also be given premium natural cat food, canned tuna and canned salmon. Most Servals can be trained to use the litter box, but the occasional one never seems to master it properly. Owners who don’t have time to devote to training a Serval, shouldn’t consider getting one. Even after thorough training, the pet Serval sometimes has accidents and goes to the bathroom where it shouldn’t. Because Servals have a fascination with water, it’s better if the toilet lid is closed at all times.

The pregnancy period of the female Serval lasts from 66 to 77 days. When it is birthing time, the female will give birth to one to three kittens, although on very rare occasions as many as five kittens have been born. Servals usually use abandoned burrows as a den for giving birth, but if no burrow is available they will give birth behind a dense bush.

Because of human interference with the natural habitats of Servals, they are decreasing in numbers. They are also diminishing in numbers because of large scale hunting for their fur. As a result, they have been given a flag in the endangered species register as being threatened. Therefore, they are now being protected in many nations. If hunting them is not brought to an end, they could very well become extinct. They have now become rare north of the Sahara and extinct in the South African Cape. Some African nations will still allow them to be captured for the pet trade, but even that is diminishing because their numbers are becoming so low. The severe drought in many parts of Africa is also causing havoc with not only the Servals, but also many other species of wildlife.

Until next time,

Teia

Unusual Pets: Degus

The Degu (Octodon degus) is a small caviomorph rodent that is native to Chile. It is sometimes referred to as the Brush-Tailed Rat (even though it is not closely related to the rat family) and it is also called the Common Degu, to distinguish it from the other members of the genus Octodon. Degus are very friendly and intelligent pets when compared to other rodents. They are hassle free and demand less maintenance.

Some people compare Degus to chinchillas, squirrels and even gerbils. They are a tweed brown colour and have a long tail with brush like hair at the end. The tail is nearly one to two thirds of the body’s length. They use it to maintain balance while climbing. While walking they keep it in an upright position. Their belly is cream in colour and there are circles around their eyes. Their ears and whiskers are surprisingly big. They nibble on their claws, so their claws don’t require clipping or filing. The Degu’s forelimbs are longer than their hind limbs. They are born with yellow teeth that turn orange after reacting to the chlorophyll present in plants. Their saliva also turns orange because of reaction to chlorophyll.

These friendly rodents are exported as pets from Chile to other countries. There are some import restrictions on Degus in the United States, so it is uncommon to find Degus in pet shops there, but they can be found in pet stores all over Europe. Initially other countries bought them not as exotic pets, but to be used in laboratory experiments. They do not have the ability to digest sugar, so they were used in tests related to diabetes.

When young, their size is similar to that of gerbils and when they grow to their full size they are about the same size as hamsters. They reach their full size within a few months, so their cage and all their equipment should be bought with this in mind. The cage should be quite large and must have a running wheel in it. Their average body weight is 160-230 grams (approximately one-third of a pound to half a pound) when they reach adulthood.

Degus are very playful animals, so you should keep lots of toys in their cage. Since baby Degus do not fight with each other, they spend all of their time playing.

It would not be a good idea to keep their cage in a bedroom as they will keep people awake with all the noise they make. Although they are diurnal, they only sleep for short periods of time, so they will probably be awake for several hours at night. They are at peak activity in the morning and the evening. However, since they only sleep in short shifts, they are active at other times, but not so vigorously. Degus are not afraid of humans, however, since they are sociable animals, it is recommended that they be kept in groups of two or more. If they are kept alone, their life span decreases and they get really depressed, in spite of human attention. They also have a tendency to become aggressive.

Degus shed their tail in defence when predators attack them. As a result, it is recommended that you never tug on the tail. If you do, the tail will bleed and then it will dry up and slowly fall off or because it is drying up the Degu will chew it off. Note that once the tail comes off, it doesn’t grow back. This will affect the animal's balance and climbing ability.

Degus don’t like to be held tightly and they don’t like to be held for long periods of time. Never lift them from above as they will become scared. In the wild they have to contend with birds striking from above, so they have developed a natural wariness of being grabbed from that direction. Owners can get them to climb onto the palm of their hand by stretching out their palms and calling out to them calmly. It won’t happen right away, but as the Degus develop voice familiarity and learn to trust their owners, they become quite tame.

In their wild forest habitat, most Degus live less than a year. About 1 percent live up to two years. But in captivity, they can live up to five years or more. Females, who live with males, die much quicker than the males because they become weak from constant pregnancies. Their pregnancy periods last for eighty-seven to ninety-three days. Therefore, it is recommended that members of the same sex should be kept together as pets. If the owner is interested in breeding them, opposite sexes can be kept together, but you should be careful about exhausting the female with too many pregnancies. It is recommended that females should only have one pregnancy per year.

If you live in the United States and you are interested in having one or more of these animals as a pet, be sure to check with municipal, county and state authorities before attempting to import any. You don’t want to pay for one or more and then find them confiscated because your city, county or state prohibits their ownership.

Until next time,

Teia

Unusual Pets – Gerbils

When manufacturers of pet supplies came out with fantastic houses, tunnels, wheels and other devices for Gerbils, Guinea Pigs, Hampsters, mice and rats, these rodents began to appear as pets in houses around the world. What were considered as rarities a number of years ago are now available in just about every pet store. This posting features the behavior of Gerbils and how to understand what they are doing.

Gerbils are popular pets and can provide hours of fun as you watch their antics. Part of this comes from the fact that they are inquisitive creatures, almost to the point of being recklessly foolish. A new smell or object entering their cage will bring them out of their houses or tunnels. Often if there is a strange noise a Gerbil is more likely to come out of hiding for a look than cower in a safe place.

Gerbils communicate via high-pitched squeaking sounds, often when they are playing or frightened. These are usually inaudible to humans, but very young or old Gerbils tend to squeak louder and more in the range of human hearing.

Gerbils also communicate by many nonverbal signals. By observing their body language you should be able to determine what your pet is trying to “say”.

When Gerbils meet, they often put their noses together and it looks like they are rubbing noses. However, if you look very closely at this greeting action, you will see that they are actually licking each other's mouths. The reason for this, is that Gerbils recognize each other by the taste of the other's saliva.

Another common Gerbal action is called 'drumming'. During this action, the Gerbil stands up and quickly thumps the ground with its hind legs. Drumming can either be a warning signal to other members of the group when danger approaches, or a courting behavior between males and females. Drumming is a learned action and you will sometimes see young gerbils imitating their parents even when there is no danger around.

An excited Gerbil will often leap into the air with all four feet off the ground. Boxing like swings of the front paws sometimes accompany this leap. These boxing movements are usually playful, but sometimes they lead to something more serious. When Gerbils fight they usually start out boxing each other and then switch to head butting before starting to wrestle.

Frequently your Gerbil will sit upright. While sitting, if it sniffs and moves its head up and down, it is just being curious. However, if it stands in a frozen position, with its paws folded as if praying, then the Gerbil is frightened.

When a Gerbil rolls in front of another Gerbil and offers its throat, it is asking for a cleaning session. The recipient of this action usually finds this an irresistible request and a thorough cleaning session ensues. If you see a Gerbil thoroughly grooming itself, it is a sign that it is relaxed and happy.

Gerbils are usually sociable animals, however, they can become irritated and want to be left alone. This will usually result in the Gerbil pushing others away with its head. When in this “mood,” it will even push your hand away in this fashion.

An understanding of your pet gGerbils' body language will add to your enjoyment of these friendly creatures and assist you in taking care of their well being.

Until next time,

Teia