The servaline genet's fur is rufous with black spots on neck, back and sides. Its feet are black. Its long tail is banded with wide black and narrow white rings.[2]It is short-haired and has a dark broken stripe along the spine. The tip of its tail is bright.[3]
Measurements of male museum specimens range from 490 to 510 mm (19 to 20 in) in head and body with a 450 to 465 mm (17.7 to 18.3 in) long tail. Females range from 445 to 495 mm (17.5 to 19.5 in) in head and body with a 368 to 485 mm (14.5 to 19.1 in) long tail.[4]
InTanzania'sUdzungwa Mountains, a Lowe's servaline genet was recorded in 2000 and photographed in 2002 for the first time. In 2005, camera trap records were also obtained in theUluguru andNguru ranges at altitudes of 950–1,400 m (3,120–4,590 ft). It is thought possible that it also occurs in other parts of theEastern Arc Mountains.[7]
Lowe's servaline genet (G. s. lowei) (Kingdon, 1977) was described on the basis of asingle skin collected in 1932 byWilloughby Prescott Lowe in the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania.[7]
Thecrested servaline genet (G. cristata) was also considered to be a subspecies of the servaline genet, but is now generally regarded as a distinct species.[1]
^Van Rompaey, H. and Colyn, M. (2013).Genetta servalina Servaline Genet. In: J. Kingdon and M. Hoffmann (eds.) The Mammals of Africa. V. Carnivores, Pangolins, Equids and Rhinoceroses, pp. 242–245. Bloomsbury, London, UK.
^Gaubert, P.; Papeş, M.; Peterson, A.T. (2006). "Natural history collections and the conservation of poorly known taxa: Ecological niche modeling in central African rainforest genets (Genetta spp.)".Biological Conservation.130 (1):106–117.Bibcode:2006BCons.130..106G.doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2005.12.006.
