The serval lifespan in the wild is possibly about 10 years while in captivity servals have been known to live for 20 years. The oldest serval mother was a female at Switzerland’s Basel Zoo. She raised her last litter when she was 14-years-of-age. The shorter lifespan in the wild means that females could potentially raise 16-20 young throughout their lifetime. Servals may become sexually mature when they are just over a year old. The information about the lifespan of servals in captivity comes from two sources: H. Wackernagel (1968) in A note on breeding the serval cat at Basle Zoo. Also, BA Tonkin (1972) Notes on longevity in three species of felids. The former is also the source for the oldest reproductive serval information.
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