There is nothing like big ears to pick up the slightest sound. Remember the old photos of the hearing aids that were just a cone people held up to their ears to collect sound...well mother nature has a few like that too.
Servals are very cool cats...they are nocturnal so finding them during the day is a treat...this was around dusk but still enough light to get some color in their fur. They can hear voles and mice in amongst the high grasses and will leap up and pounce on them...they also have NBA ups and will snatch low flying birds as well...a pretty neat cat with markings between a leopard and a cheetah and about double to triple the size of a house cat.
The second is a genet...they come in two flavors...large spotted and small spotted...it is the size of the spots not the animal that differentiates them by name. While cat like in looks they are more closely related to weasels. Also nocturnal, they hunt lizards, small mammals and insects...sorry for the eye shine but no option at the time.
Lastly is the bat eared fox...one of my favorite critters...it is an insectivore and uses those satellite like dish ears to pick up those weak insect noises.
Eric
Eric:
Those Servals sure do have long legs in comparison to the rest of their bodies, maybe that is where they get their "NBA Leap" from. Nice set and interesting to see the others.
Douglas
Nice job on the Servals Eric! My eye is drawn right to their faces in each of those. Great shots and great info. I'm looking forward to seeing more of the batty Fox, he looks like an interesting subject.
I love cats This one is a good looking one, and looks very agile with those long legs.
Very nice set that your commentary made more interesting
Socrate
KCollett wrote:
Cool stuff Eric! Always neat to see the smaller cats, and the lesser known critters.
It is for me too Kenny. Most of these guys are night stalkers and you just have to be lucky to catch them and even luckier to get a decent photograph. Some people hate night drives; me, I think they are so cool because you never see any of these coming and then voila...they are there!
Eric
douter wrote:
Eric:
Those Servals sure do have long legs in comparison to the rest of their bodies, maybe that is where they get their "NBA Leap" from. Nice set and interesting to see the others.
Douglas
I am sure you are correct Doug. I will try to find an old video I took years ago with one pouncing on some unsuspecting little rodent...one gulp and it was done!
Eric
Tim Kuhn wrote:
Nice job on the Servals Eric! My eye is drawn right to their faces in each of those. Great shots and great info. I'm looking forward to seeing more of the batty Fox, he looks like an interesting subject.
Tim
Thanks Tim...when I can get that eye contact I know I have a punchers chance at a keeper. Glad you like the prose along with the pix. The best bat eared fox photo I ever took was in 1980..one of the first wildlife photos I ever enlarged...of course its in slide form and my slide scanner is in NYC with my son. But I have come across them a bunch of times including a den site and they are lots of fun to observe.
Eric
CDaescher wrote:
Eric, lots of good info and great images to go with it. Thanks for sharing.
Chris
Chris, I am really happy you enjoyed the stuff that goes along with the pix.
Eric
DonGut wrote:
Great shots of the serval. That looks like a young one. Where did you take these? Don
First serval NOT seen by spotlight...it was in the Central Serengetti, near Kusini Camp...we gave it enough room that it didn't bolt and just continued on looking for a happy hour snack.
Eric
This one is a good looking one, and looks very agile with those long legs.