/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/f5/a2/f5a26ef6-0a3f-4ad3-a309-fd3fce276f10/42-34953932.jpg)
Borneo’s bay cat is so elusive that it took over a century before researchers got a chance to study a live one in detail. Covered in striking, rust-red fur with white under the tail and face stripes, this cat was officially named in 1874 on the basis of a skull and torn skin sent to England by the famous naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace.
Last updated 3 mins ago
/https://tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com/filer/38/a2/38a25041-ce7f-464b-a2fb-4ca61cbfbde5/ab006594.jpg)
Found among the grasslands of sub-Saharan Africa, the serval looks like a cat on stilts. Immediately recognizable by its long legs and large, rounded ears, this graceful felid’s stretched-out look is perfectly suited to detecting and pouncing on prey in the tall grass. Capable of jumping 12 feet into the air, servals can nab fleeing birds in mid-air and get the drop of scurrying small mammals.
Last updated 3 mins ago