A Bengal's
exotic ancestor is the Asian Leopard Cat (Felis bengalensis) - a ten to fifteen
pound cat known for its extreme coat color, rosetting, musculature, expressive
eyes, and exotic pattern. Often described as having longer legs and a
longer body than domestic cats. Leopard cats are also excellent
swimmers and fishers.
In Asia, some
villagers are reported as keeping leopard cats around to hunt mice, and wildlife
biologists have reported seeing house cat/leopard cat hybrids on the streets of
Bangkok. A leopard cat, kept by a biologist of the American Museum of
Natural History, was reportedly very friendly and followed him everywhere.
Dr. Petzsch of the Halle Zoo reportedly states that leopard cats can become as
tame as domestic cats. However, there are certainly enough stories of
leopard cats, bottle raised from birth, that revert to their wild and shy
temperament upon maturity, to realize that they are not an easily domesticated
animal.
Perhaps that is as it should be.
Leopard Cat kittens in
their nest box.
Friendly
Asian Leopard Cats in Zoo:
Savannah
Ancestry
The
Savannah's exotic ancestor is the African Serval (Leptailurus serval) -- known for its very large,
tall ears, long legs, athleticism, small eyes on a triangular face, and pale
yellow coat with black spotting.
Servals are
fast runners over short distances and are good leapers and climbers. These
graceful, slender cats are about 20 inches at the shoulder. Adult females
weigh about 30 pounds, and males are slightly larger, often reaching 40 pounds.
The ear is
specialized and unique in the feline family. The ear has enlarged auditory bullae and
pinnae, which are capable of hearing ultrasonic high frequencies emitted by
rodents underground or up to 20 feet away. The Serval's athletic body and long legs
enable him to pounce with accuracy. He catches approximately 50% of the prey he
attempts to catch, a very high ratio. He prefers to live in grasslands near
water where rodents, birds, frogs and bugs are plentiful.
In the wild,
the Serval is a solitary cat, preferring to be alone.
They are crepuscular (hunting at dusk and dawn), and tend to rest during the day
and nighttime.
Serval kittens in their
bed.
A beautiful African Serval
hunting:
The Bengal Name
The name "Bengal" is derived from
the Latin name
of the Asian Leopard Cat, Felis bengalensis.
The Savannah Name
The name "Savannah" is derived
from the region most
common to the Serval cats -- the African Savannah.
Generational
Comparison of Bengals and Savannahs
The F1 Bengal
Callista Sheer Brilliance of Crestwood,
photo by Victoria Kowalski F1 Bengal.
The F1
Savannah
Queen Bundas HRH Elizabeth I of
Bespotted Adult F1
Savannah jumping in the air.
The F2 Bengal
Azana's Morning Angel
The F2
Savannah
AJSavannahs Oliver - pet of Ken and Deborah
A1Savannahs Charlotte of My Africattery
The F3 Bengal
Junglebook Queen
(looking for name)
The F3
Savannah
Ajabu Aminia of Akali
Panther Magic's Daft Punk of BeSpotted
The SBT
Bengal
(looking for name)
Katznjamr Magic of Bahiya
Katznjamr Pure Rapture of Summerside
Katznjamr Buttons and Bows of Texas Star
The F4 and
Later Generation/SBT Savannah
BeSpotted Wilson
of My Africattery
Thomkatz Saved By Zero of Kasbah
o
F5 C Kasbah Rebel Yell of Gattobello
Tomwren Mujambi
Bengal
Personality
Bengals are
high-energy cats, intelligent, curious, and particularly interactive with
their humans.
They often follow their human around the house, helping with regular housework, attacking the
broom, riding the mop,
playing in the running tap water, dunking toys (and other
objects), playing hide-n’-seek games, and even playing
chase-you-around-the-house. Bengals frequently invent new and exciting
games of their own - and a very big favorite
with many Bengals is playing fetch
with a small ball or favorite toy. Bengals are often avid sock
stealers, too!
Bengals are known for greeting their favorite people at the door, enjoying rides
in the car or trips to PetSmart,
snuggling on the couch with either their
human or canine pals,
and many even enjoy being the center of attention at house parties.
In addition, Bengals may find walking on a leash outdoors entertaining, and have
even been known to go for a run on the beach,
a ride in the boat, a climb on
Enchanted Rock, or just enjoy a picnic with their family.
Finally, Bengals are
becoming known for their ability to be wonderful Pet Therapy animals,
with their outgoing personalities, they enjoy
visiting hospitals and nursing homes.
Living with
an acrobatic Bengal!
Savannah
Personality
A strong,
lean, creative creature, a Savannah will follow you from room to room and keep you on your toes
by
amusing you with his antics. A toy and a Savannah equals huge leaps and
pouncing putting on quite the show.
Savannahs are amazingly good jumpers!!!
The later generation Savannah loves to see and be seen. Savannahs are
intelligent, curious creatures so don't expect
them to sleep on your lap all
day. They can be mischievous due to their high intelligence and curiosity.
They
are also loyal and devoted companions. Early generation Savannahs
are not lap cats and prefer not to be held and cuddled,
but they do enjoy being
near their favorite people.
Many
Savannahs love to play in water, dropping their toys in the water dish and then
fishing them out.
They can be trained to walk on a leash and enjoy exploring
everything from the neighborhood park to the beach.
They will
greet you at the door and frequently initiate a game of chase-my-favorite-toy.
An F1
Savannah pet owner talks about her foundation Savannah:
Wonderfully informative.
Bengal Myths
Bengals love
to swim in pools.
Truth:
While many Bengals have inherited a strong attraction for water, often playing
in the shower while
their owner attempts to take one, or even enjoying a soak in
a warm tub of water,
it is rare for a Bengal to want to jump into a pool and
actually swim around!
Many Bengals
will enjoy a small child's pool, particularly if it has floating toys, such as
ping pong balls to play with.
Bengals don't mind getting wet, and will
often wade into water that is neck deep!
For those not
too squeamish -- you can watch your Bengals fishing prowess by dumping a few
feeder fish in the pool.
Savannah
Myths
Savannahs are
30 - 40 pound cats.
Truth:
The Savannah breed is a solid bodied, slender, leggy, tall cat, sometimes making
it appear larger than it is.
The largest
generation is the F1, having a Serval parent, and most F1 females weigh in at
around 15 pounds.
The F1 males probably average around 20 pounds - with some being lighter, and some
weighing more.
A breeder who
guarantees a 25-30 pound Savannah? Get proof. This is not common at
all, not
even in the earliest (F1-F2 Savannahs) generations.
In general,
F1s are the biggest. F2s are next in line. F3s are even smaller.
Most F3 and
later generation Savannahs weigh about the same as a normal domestic cat, but
may stand a little taller.
Bengal
Facts
First hybridization
attempt to create a pet - in Japan in 1941.
The Bengal breed was
not intentionally attempted until the 1970's.
The Bengal breed was
accepted for registration in TICA in 1983.
The Bengal reached
full championship status in TICA in 1992.
Today's Bengal is
accepted in every major cat association around the world, except CFA.
Both Male and
Female Bengals are reliably fertile with up to 15% ALC Genetics.
Male and
Female SBT Bengals are able to have higher percentages than
later generation Male and Female Savannahs due to the Asian Leopard Cat
being more
closely related to the domestic cat.
The Serval is farther away from the domestic cat on the evolutionary ladder.
The percentage of ALC
in many, many registered Bengals may be found at:
Most Savannah
cats bred today are still foundation Savannah cats -- but the breed is getting
very close to the
important goal of SBT Savannah (four generations of pure Savannah
to Savannah breeding).
F5 Savannah
Cat Apollo Video!
SBT Bengal Tricks!
Sit, Shake Hands, Roll Over, Give Me Five,
Lay Down, and
Round About
Savannah Kitten at Home (F3)
F1 Bengal
grooms young human pal
Savannah walking on a harness
SBT Bengal cat playing fetch. F1 Savannah vs. F5 Savannah
SBT Bengal kitten
opens door. F4 Savannah male at home.
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