The Serengeti is a
breed
A breed is a specific group of domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist several slig ...
of
domestic cat
The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members o ...
, first developed by crossing a
Bengal (domestic and wild
hybrid) and an
Oriental Shorthair. Recognized and registered by
The International Cat Association (TICA), no other first generation crosses can be registered as Serengeti. From the Bengal × Oriental cross came the first foundation Serengeti. Breeders then worked with the cat to produce a cat that resembles the breed profile set by TICA.
Created by biologist Karen Sausman of Kingsmark Cattery in California in 1994, the breed is still in the development stages, but the ultimate aim is to produce a cat that looks similar to a
serval, without using any recent
wild cat blood.
(Bengal cats originate from hybridization of
leopard cats and domestic cats. Most Bengal cats used in Serengeti breeding programs are many generations removed from these origins and possess few genetic contributions of the wild forebears except
alleles affecting coat color.)
Serengetis are spotted cats, with long legs and very large, round tipped ears.
They have a long neck which blends with the base of the skull without tapering.
Males are generally slightly larger and heavier than females and can weigh between ; females generally weigh between .
[Cat Breed Junction. (2009). Serengeti Cat... Cat Facts. Retrieved December 11, 2012, from http://www.catbreedsjunction.com/serengeti-cat.html] They are recognized by TICA in tabby, ebony silver, ebony smoke and solid black.
The tabby is known as the brown-spotted in the UK. However spots can be black or dark brown on a tan, light beige or gold background. The silver has black spots on a silver background. Ghost spotting can sometimes be seen on the solid black version.
See also
*
Chausie
The Chausie () is a domestic breed of cat that was developed by breeding a few individuals from the non-domestic species jungle cat (''Felis chaus'') to a far greater number of domestic cats (''Felis catus''). The Chausie was first recognized as ...
, a breed of cat hybridized with jungle cat
*
Savannah
A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the Canopy (forest), canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to rea ...
, a breed which integrates the serval's genes
References
External links
The International Serengeti Cat Club
Cat breeds
Domestic–wild hybrid cats
Cat breeds originating in the United States
Experimental cat breeds
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