Servaline Genets (Genetta servalina): Ringtails of Central East and West Africa

Behaviors, bio-geographies, genetics, and physiques account for the species within a genus. Servaline genets belong to the genet genus Genetta. The genus name brings in the French spelling genette of the original Arabic designation jarnait for the amiable, beautiful, cautious, domesticable, elusive, fast, graceful spotted-and-striped mammal in question. Servaline genets claim sole membership in the genet species servalina. The species name comes from constructing the modern Latin term servalina from:

• The Portuguese designation lobo cerval for lynx (Felis serval);

• The Latin suffix -ina for “of, pertaining, or relating to.”

Modern taxonomy's binomial (“two-name”) requirements demand a genus and species for all officially described organisms. As with servaline genets, they may be expanded to accommodate subspecies.  

Servalines articulate 5 subspecies. G.s. servalina – of Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Sudan – comes from French zoologist Jacques Pucheran (June 2, 1817 – January 13, 1895) in 1855. The nominate (“first-to-be-named”) joins:

• G.s. archeri of Zanzibar per Belgian veterinarian Harry van Rompaey (April 5, 1936 – February 2, 2007) and French biologist Marc Colyn in 1998;

• G.s. bettoni of Burundi, Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, and Uganda per British zoologist Michael Rogers Oldfield Thomas (February 21, 1858 – June 16, 1929) in 1902;

• G.s. lowei of Tanzania per Tanzanian zoologist Jonathon Kingdon in 1977;

• G.s. schwarzi of Burundi, Congo, and Rwanda per Portuguese mammalogist João Crawford-Cabral in 1970.

Bio-geographical and corporeal subtleties differentiate the servaline genet's subspecies. All servalines nevertheless exhibit super-spotted, tawny upper-sides with:

• Broken, dark, shoulders-to-tail-base, mid-dorsal line crossed longitudinally by a tawny stripe;

• Dark lower limbs;

• Dark-backed outer upper limbs with spots forming fragmented horizontal lines;

• Dark-haired soles;

• Orange-yellow-brown to orange-yellow-grey under-sides.

The bright-tipped, cylindrical tail has:

• A dark stripe subtly smudging the top-side longitudinally;

• 9 – 11 bright rings less than 20% wider than correspondingly dark stripes.

The head includes:

• Alert, rounded ears;

• Big, dark-adapted, rounded eyes;

• Dark, thin chin line;

• Tapered muzzle with fine, super-sensory whiskers.

  It tops a yellow throat framed by stripes from the ears downward.   

Servaline life cycles and natural histories elude scientists. Servalines historically fit Smithsonian National Natural History Museum mammalogist Dr. Kristofer Helgen's conferring ghost status to museum-only skins and skulls. But camera-trapping gives real-time to:

• Lowe's servalines in Tanzania's Udzungwa range in 2000 and Nguru and Uluguru ranges in 2002;

• Wildlife consultant Tony Archer's servalines in Zanzibar's Jozani-Chwaka Bay National Park in 2003.

 Data and mature specimens indicate: 

• Head-and-body lengths: 17.52 – 20.08 inches (445 – 510 millimeters);

• Paw lengths: 2.76 – 3.15 inches (70 – 80 millimeters);

• Tail lengths: 13.78 – 17.32 inches (350 – 440 millimeters);

• Tail-hair lengths: 0.79 - 1.18 inches (20 – 30 millimeters);

• Weights: 4.41 – 6.61 pounds (2 – 3 kilograms).

Scientists attribute to servalines:

• Night-foraying couples or singles;

• Non-overlapping territories for same-gender neighbors and overlapping for mixed;

• Permanent dens in tree burrows or hollows;

• Regular latrines;

• Stress from predatory mammals, raptors, and reptiles;

• Terrestrial forages as obligate carnivores (“flesh-eaters”) of small mammals and opportunistic omnivores (“everything-eaters”) of fruits, insects, and small reptiles.

They consider:

• Physical and sexual maturity at 4 years;

• Rain-season matings of April/May and September/October;

• Twice-yearly litters of 1 grey-furred offspring whose ears and eyes open within 2 weeks and whose suckling by the mother's sole pair of teats precedes emancipation.

They suspect:

• Generations of 7 years;

• Life expectancies of 5 – 15 years.   

Some genets favor rainforest-specific niches. The servaline genet is not among them. Servalines may frequent such varied forested and wooded habitats as:

• Coral rag thickets;

• Dry scrublands;

• Forest-savannah mosaics;

• Gallery and groundwater forests;

• High-altitude bamboo forests;

• Montane forests;

• Primary and secondary-growth forested lowlands;

• Rainforests;

• Woodland savannahs.

Local anecdotes and scientific research place servalines at above-sea-level altitudes of:

• 984.25 – 5,905.51 feet (300 – 1,800 meters);

• 6,889.76 – 9,842.52 feet (2,100 – 3,000 meters);

• 11,482.94 – 14,435.70 feet (3,500 – 4,400 meters).

They share bio-geographies with aquatic fish-eating (Genetta piscivora), giant forest (G. victoriae), king (G. poensis), rusty-spotted panther (G. maculata), and Schouteden's (G. schoutedeni) genets.  

Servaline genets answer to:

• Kanu among Swahili-speakers;

• Uhange (“red-colored”) and uchui or ushundwi (“leopard-like”) in Zanzibar.

They are renowned as:

• Affectionately loyal pets;

• Sources of soft-furred bracelets, hats, and loincloths and tasty bushmeat.

Their resource-rich homeland brims with:

• Modernizing and tradition-bound interactions;

• Urban-wildland interfaces.

Self-defense is inadequate despite:

• Acute hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting, and touching;

• Handstand-released stinkbombs;

• Sharp incisors (12), canines (4), premolars (16), and molars (8);

• Stand-up boxing;

• Super-fast digitigrade (“on-the-digits,” “tiptoed”) ascents, descents, jumps, leaps, and runs;

• 20 curved, retractable, super-sharp claws.

Sustainable futures require governmental protection, scientific research, and visitor support against:

• Globally-warmed climate change;

• Unrestrained agro-industrialism;

• Zealous over-hunting.   

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

J.A. Allen, "Carnivora Collected by the American Museum Congo Expedition."
Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, vol. XLVII (April 11, 1924), Plate XV, Figure 1, between pages 282-283: via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/stream/bulletinamerican47ameruoft#page/n339/mode/1up

Distribution data from IUCN Red List: Chermundy/IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, species assessors and the authors of the spatial data, CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Servaline_Genet_area.png

oil on canvas by John Ernest Breun (1862-1921): Kristofer M. Helgen, Roberto Portela Miguez, James Kohen, Lauren Helgen/ZooKeys, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Portrait_of_Michael_Rogers_Oldfield_Thomas_-_ZooKeys-255-103-g003-bottom_right.jpeg; via Pensoft Publishers / ZooKeys @ https://zookeys.pensoft.net/showimg.php?filename=oo_25946.jpg

Genetta servalina in Cameroon; description made in 1855 from species from Gabon, Cameroon's southern neighbor.: Andrew Self (Andrewself at English Wikipedia), CC BY SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Servaline_Genet.jpg

J.A. Allen, "Carnivora Collected by the American Museum Congo Expedition."
Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, vol. XLVII (April 11, 1924), Figure 19, page 129: via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/bulletinamerican47ameruoft/page/129/mode/1up

J.A. Allen, "Carnivora Collected by the American Museum Congo Expedition."
Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, vol. XLVII (April 11, 1924), Plate XIV, Figure 2, between pages 283-283: via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/bulletinamerican47ameruoft/page/n337/mode/1up

illustration by J. (Joseph) Smit (July 18, 1836-Dec. 4, 1929); Oldfield Thomas, "On the More Notable Mammals Obtained by Sir Harry Johnston in the Uganda Protectorate."
Proceedings of General Meetings for Scientific Business of Zoological Society of London, vol. II (May 21, 1901), Pl. V, opposite page 85: Biodiversity Heritage Library (BioDivLib), Public Domain, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/biodivlibrary/50268403162/

J.A. Allen, "Carnivora Collected by the American Museum Congo Expedition."
Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, vol. XLVII (April 11, 1924), Figure 18, page 128: via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/bulletinamerican47ameruoft/page/128/mode/1up

entrance to Jozani Forest, Zanzibar: MacElwee, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jozani_forest,_Zanzibar.jpg; Kent MacElwee, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/44335492@N00/410863153

Freddie Mercury in New Haven, CT, at a WPLR (99.1 FM) Show, November 1978: Carl Lender, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Freddie_Mercury_performing_in_New_Haven,_CT,_November_1977.jpg

Allen, J.A. (Joel Asaph). 1922 - 1922. "Carnivora Collected by the American Museum Congo Expedition." Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, Vol. XLVII: 73 - 281.

• Available via Internet Archive at: https://archive.org/stream/bulletinamerican47ameruoft#page/73/mode/1up

Anděra, Miloš. 1999. České názvy živočichů II. Savci (Mammalia). Prague: Národní muzeum, (zoologické odd.).

Arnold, Michael L. 2008. Reticulate Evolution and Humans: Origins and Ecology. Oxford University Press.

Bisby, F.A.; Roskov, Y.R.; Orrell, T.M.; Nicolson, D.; Paglinawan, L.E.; Bailly, N.; Kirk, P.M.; Bourgoin, T.; Baillargeon, G.; Ouvrard, D. (red.). 2011. “Genetta servalina.” Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2011 Annual Checklist. Reading, UK. Retrieved May 20, 2014.

• Available at: http://www.catalogueoflife.org/col/details/species/id/6902626 

• Available at: http://www.catalogueoflife.org/col/details/species/id/7005188 

• Available at: http://www.catalogueoflife.org/col/details/species/id/7005189 

• Available at: http://www.catalogueoflife.org/col/details/species/id/7005190 

• Available at: http://www.catalogueoflife.org/col/details/species/id/7005191 

• Available at: http://www.catalogueoflife.org/col/details/species/id/7005187

Boelens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; and Grayson, Michael. 2009. The Eponym Dictionary of Mammals. Johns Hopkins University.

Boudet, Ch. 10 January 2009. "Species Sheet: Central African Genet, Servaline Genet, Servalin Genet." Mammals' Planet: Vs n°4, 04/2010. Retrieved May 20, 2014.

• Available at: http://www.planet-mammiferes.org/drupal/en/node/38?indice=Genetta+servalina

Boudet, Ch. 10 January 2009. "Subspecies Sheet: Aubry's Genetta." Mammals' Planet: Vs n°4, 04/2010. Retrieved May 20, 2014. 

• Available at: http://www.planet-mammiferes.org/drupal/en/node/39?indice=Genetta+servalina+aubryana

Boudet, Ch. 10 January 2009. "Subspecies Sheet: Gabon Servaline Genet." Mammals' Planet: Vs n°4, 04/2010. Retrieved May 20, 2014. 

• Available at: http://www.planet-mammiferes.org/drupal/en/node/39?indice=Genetta+servalina+servalina

Boudet, Ch. 10 January 2009. "Subspecies Sheet [Genetta servalina intensa]." Mammals' Planet: Vs n°4, 04/2010. Retrieved May 20, 2014. 

• Available at: http://www.planet-mammiferes.org/drupal/en/node/39?indice=Genetta+servalina+intensa

Boudet, Ch. 10 January 2009. "Subspecies Sheet: Lowe's Servaline Genet, Udzungwa Servaline Genet." Mammals' Planet: Vs n°4, 04/2010. Retrieved May 20, 2014. 

• Available at: http://www.planet-mammiferes.org/drupal/en/node/39?indice=Genetta+servalina+lowei

Boudet, Ch. 10 January 2009. "Subspecies Sheet: Schwarz's Servaline Genet, Salonga Genet." Mammals' Planet: Vs n°4, 04/2010. Retrieved May 20, 2014. 

• Available at: http://www.planet-mammiferes.org/drupal/en/node/39?indice=Genetta+servalina+schwarzi

Boudet, Ch. 10 January 2009. "Subspecies Sheet: Uganda Servaline Genet." Mammals' Planet: Vs n°4, 04/2010. Retrieved May 20, 2014. 

• Available at: http://www.planet-mammiferes.org/drupal/en/node/39?indice=Genetta+servalina+bettoni

Boudet, Ch. 10 January 2009. "Subspecies Sheet: Zanzibar Servaline Genet." Mammals' Planet: Vs n°4, 04/2010. Retrieved May 20, 2014. 

• Available at: http://www.planet-mammiferes.org/drupal/en/node/39?indice=Genetta+servalina+archeri

Brink, H.; Topp-Jørgensen, J.E.; Marshall, A.R.; and Fanning, E. 2002. "First Record in 68 Years of Lowe's Servaline Genet (Genetta servalina lowei)." Oryx 36:324.

Cassell's Universal Portrait Gallery: A Collection of Portraits of Celebrities, English and Foreign. With Facsimile Autographs. 1895. London, Paris & Melbourne: Cassell and Company, Limited.

• Available via Internet Archive at: https://archive.org/details/cassellsuniversa00londiala

Coetzee, C.G. 22 August 1977. “Order Carnivora.” Pp. 1-42 in 1971-1977. The Mammals of Africa: An Identification Manual. Part 8 edited by J. Meester and H.W. Setzer. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.  

Colyn, Marc. April 2007. "Obituary Harry Van Rompaey 5 April 1936 - 2 February 2007." Small Carnivore Conservation 36:2-4. Retrieved May 20, 2014. 

• Available at: SCC36_Harry Van_Rompaey_Obituary.pdf - Adobe Reader 

Cordeiro, Norbert J.; and Seltzer, Carrie E. 2012. "First Record of the Servaline Genet (Genetta servalina) in the East Usambara Mountains, Tanzania." Journal of East African Natural History 101(1):17-27. 

Corson, Docteur P.-J. October 2005. Les grands prédateurs d’Afrique: biologie, éthnologie et chasse. Brussels, Belgium: Éditions du Gerfaut.

Crawford-Cabral, J. 1970. "As genetas da Africa central (República do Zaire, Ruanda e Burrindi)."
Boletim do Instituto de Investigação Científica de Angola 7(2):3-23.

Crawford-Cabral, J. 1981. “A New Classification of the Genets.” African Small Mammal Newsletter 6:8-10.  

Crawford-Cabral, João. 1980. "The Classification of the Genets (Carnivora, Viverridae, genus Genetta)." Boletim da Sociedade Portuguesa de Ciências Naturais 20:97-114.

De Luca, D.W.; and Mpunga, N.E. 2002. "Preliminary Observations of Lowe's Servaline Genet (Genetta servalina lowei) from Udzungwa Mountains National Park, Tanzania." Small Carnivore Conservation 27:17–18.

de Pousarges, E. (Eugène). 1896. "Étude sur les mammifères du Congo français." Annales des Sciences Naturelles, Zoologie et Paléontologie; comprenant l'Anatomie, la Physiologie, la Classification et l'histoire Naturelle des Animaux, (série 8, tome troisième): 129-416.

• Available via Biodiversity Heritage Library at: http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/35662106
• Available via Internet Archive at: http://archive.org/stream/udesurlesmammifs00pous#page/n6/mode/1up

Driver, Stephanie (ed.). 2008. Exploring Mammals, Volume 3. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Corporation.

Duff, Andrew; and Lawson, Ann. 2004. Mammals of the World: A Checklist. Yale University Press.

Ewer, R.F. 1998. The Carnivores. Cornell University Press: Cornell Paperbacks.

Gaubert, Philippe; and Dufour, Sylvain. July 2013. “First Report of a Chinchilla Phenotype in Viverridae (Carnivora).” Small Carnivore Conservation 48:92-95. Retrieved May 20, 2014.

• Available at: http://www.smallcarnivoreconservation.org/home/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/SCC-48-11-Gaubert-Dufour.pdf

Gaubert, P.; Chalubert, A.; and Dubus, G. 2008. “An Interactive Identification Key for Genets and Oyans (Carnivora, Viverridae, Genettinae, Genetta spp. and Poiana spp.) Using Xper2.” Zootaxa 1717:39-50.

Gaubert, P.; Fernandes, C. A.; Bruford, M. W.; and Veron, G. 2004. "Genets (Carnivora, Viverridae) in Africa: An Evolutionary Synthesis Based on Cytochrome b Sequences and Morphological Characters." Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 81:589-610.

Gaubert, P.; Papeş, M.; Peterson, A.T. June 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.

Gaubert, P.; Taylor, P.J.; and Veron, G. 2005. “Integrative Taxonomy and Phylogenetic Systematics of the Genets (Carnivora, Viverridae, Genetta): A New Classification of the Most Speciose Carnivoran Genus in Africa.” Pp. 371-384 in African Biodiversity: Molecules, Organisms, Ecosystems edited by Bernard A. Huber, Bradley J. Sinclair, and Karl-Heinz Lampe. NY: Springer Science + Business Media, Inc.

Gaubert, Philippe; Weltz, Marjorie; and Chalubert, Antoine. 14 January 2008. “Genetta servalina." Genets and Oyans. Paris: Université Pierre et Marie Curie. Retrieved May 20, 2014. 

• Available at: http://lis-upmc.snv.jussieu.fr/genettes/web/fiches_en/taxa/genetta_servalina.html

"Genet." AWF: What We Do > Wildlife Conservation > Genet. African Wildlife Foundation. Retrieved May 20, 2014.

• Available at: http://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/genet

“Genetta servalina.” The Marine Biological Universal Biological Indexer and Organizer. Retrieved May 20, 2014.

• Available at: http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=2478472

• Available at: http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=105804 

• Available at: http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=5516948

• Available at: http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=11271979

• Available at: http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=11271980

• Available at: http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=5573158

• Available at: http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=11271982

• Available at: http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=11271984

• Available at: http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=11271983

• Available at: http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=11271978

• Available at: http://www.ubio.org/browser/details.php?namebankID=11271977

“Genetta servalina.” The National Center for Biotechnology Information: Taxonomy ID205596. Retrieved May 20, 2014.

• Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi

“Genetta servalina Pucheran, 1855.” ITIS Report: Taxonomic Serial Number 621994. Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved May 20, 2014.

• Available at: http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=621994

“Genetta servalina: Servaline Genet.” Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved May 20, 2014.

• Available at: http://eol.org/pages/328098/details

"Genetta servalina (Servaline Genet)." ZipcodeZoo: Species Identifier 128450. Retrieved May 18, 2014. 

• Available at: http://zipcodezoo.com/animals/g/genetta_servalina/

Gervais, Paul. 1855. Histoire naturelle des Mammifères: Carnivores, Proboscidiens, Jumentés, Bisulques, Édentés, Marsupiaux, Monotrèmes, Phoques, Sirénides et Cétacés. Paris: L. Curmer.

Gittleman, John L.; Funk, Stephan M.; Macdonald, David; and Wayne, Robert K. (eds.). 2001. Carnivore Conservation. Cambridge University Press: Conservation Biology 5.

Goldman, H.V.; and Winther-Hansen, J. 2003. "First Photographs of the Zanzibar Servaline Genet, Genetta servalina archeri, and Other Endemic Subspecies on the Island of Unguja, Tanzania." Small Carnivore Conservation 29:1-4.

Goldman, Helle; and Winther-Hansen, Jon. March 2003. "The Small Carnivores of Unguja: Results of a Photo-Trapping Survey in Jozani Forest Reserve, Zanzibar, Tanzania." Tromsø, Norway: Norwegian Polar Institute, Polar Environmental Centre. Retrieved May 20, 2014.

• Available at: ZbarCamTrap2003.pdf (SECURED) - Adobe Reader

Goldman, Helle; Winther-Hansen, Jon; and Walsh, Martin. 3 April 2009. “Zanzibar's Recently Discovered Servaline Genet.” The Zanzibar Leopard: Anthropology and Conservation in Zanzibar. Retrieved May 20, 2014.

• Available at: http://zanzibarleopard.blogspot.com/2009/04/zanzibars-recently-discovered-servaline.html

Guérin-Méneville, M.F.-E. March 1855. “Mélanges et Nouvelles.” Revue et Magasin de Zoologie Pure et Appliquée 7(2):154.

• Available via Biodiversity Heritage Library at: http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2280895

Hayssen, Virginia; Van Tienhoven, Ari; and Van Tienoven, Ans. Asdell’s Patterns of Mammalian Reproduction: A Compendium of Species-Specific Data. Cornell University, 1993.

Hunter, Luke; and Barrett, Priscilla. 2011. A Field Guide to the Carnivores of the World. London, Cape Town, Sydney, Auckland: New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd.

Jennings, A. P.; and Veron, J. 2009. "Family Viverridae (Civets, Genets, and Oyans)." In: Don E. Wilson and Russel Mittermeier (Hrsg.) Handbook of the Mammals of the World Volume 1: Carnivores. Lynx Edicions.

Jukofsky, Diane for the Rainforest Alliance. 2002. Encyclopedia of Rainforests. Westport, CT: Oryx Press.

Kingdon, Jonathon; Happold, David; Butynski, Thomas; Hoffmann, Michael; Happold, Meredith; and Jan Kalina (eds.). 2013. Mammals of Africa, Volume 5: Carnivores, Pangolins, Equids and Rhinoceroses, edited by Jonathan Kingdon and Michael Hoffmann. Bloomsbury Publishing.

Kondo, H.; Tesar, J.; Cloud, D.; Kagan, L. (eds.). 1972. Civets, Genets, and Linsangs, Volume 2, 3rd Edition. Milan: Fratelli Fabbri Editori.

Larivière, Serge. 2004. "Civets, Genets, and Linsangs." Pp. 335-339 in Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia, Second Edition. Volume 14: Mammals III, edited by Michael Hutchins, Devra G. Kleiman, Valerius Geist, and Melissa C. McDade. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group, Inc., division of Thomson Learning Inc.

Lönnberg, Einar. 1917. "Mammals Collected in Central Africa by Captain E. Arrhenius." 

With 12 plates and 11 figures in the text. Kungliga Svenska Vetenskapsakademiens Handlingar, Band 58, No. 2: 1-110.

• Available via Biodiversity Heritage Library at: http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/41919062

Myers, P.; Espinosa, R.; Parr, C.S.; Jones, T.; Hammond, G.S.; and Dewey, T.A. 2014. “Genetta servalina: Servaline Genet.” The Animal Diversity Web (online). University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Retrieved May 18, 2014.

• Available at: http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Genetta_servalina/classification/

Nowak, Ronald M. 1999. Walker's Mammals of the World, Sixth Edition. Volume I. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. 

Pakenham, R.H.W. 1959. "Kiswahili Names of Birds and Beasts in the Zanzibar Protectorate." Swahili: The Journal of the East African Swahili Committee 29(1):34-54.

Rosevear, Donovan Reginald. 1974. The Carnivores of West Africa. London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History).

• Available via Biodiversity Heritage Library at: http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/35416#page/7/mode/1up

Rovero, F.; Doggart, N.; Bowkett, A.; and Burgess, N. 2006. "New Records for Lowe's Servaline Genet from the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania". Oryx 40(2):139.

“Servaline Genet.” The Animal Files: Mammals > Carnivores. Retrieved May 18, 2014.

• Available at: http://www.theanimalfiles.com/mammals/carnivores/genet_servaline.html

"Servaline Genet, Genetta Servalina." redOrbit: Reference Library > Mammals. Retrieved May 20, 2014. 

• Available at: http://www.redorbit.com/education/reference_library/animal_kingdom/mammalia/1112544965/servaline-genet-genetta-servalina/

Servaline Genet: Genetta Servalina." Tanzania Mammal Atlas Project: Mammals > Large Mammal List > Civets and Genets. Arusha, Tanzania: The Tanzania Mammal Conservation Program, Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute. Retrieved May 20, 2014. 

• Available at: http://www.tanzaniamammals.org/content/mammal.php?id=GT3

"Servaline Genet Pictures and Facts." The Website of Everything: Animals > Mammals > Carnivora > Viverridae > Viverrinae > Genettae. Retrieved May 20, 2014. 

• Available at: http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/animals/mammals/Carnivora/Viverridae/Genetta/Genetta-servalina.html

Sillero-Zubiri, C.; and Marino, J. 1997. "The Status of Small Carnivore Species in Niokolo-Koba National Park, Senegal." Small Carnivore Conservation 17:15-19.

Thomas, Oldfield. 1901. "On the More Notable Mammals Obtained by Sir Harry Johnston."Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London (2): 85 - 90.

• Available via Internet Archive at: https://archive.org/stream/proceedingsofzoo19012zool#page/85/mode/1up

Thomas, Oldfield. 1902. “A New Genet from British East Africa.” Annals and Magazine of Natural History 9(7):365-366.

• Available at: http://biostor.org/reference/86773

Van Rompaey, H.; and Colyn, M. 1998. "A New Servaline Genet (Carnivora, Viverridae) from Zanzibar Island." South African Journal of Zoology 33:42–46.

Van Rompaey, H.; Gaubert, P.; De Luca, D.; Rovero, F.; and Hoffmann, M. 2008. "Genetta servalina." In: IUCN 2013. International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. Retrieved May 20, 2014. 

• Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/full/41700/0

Veron, Geraldine. 2010. “Phylogeny of the Viverridae and ‘Viverrid-like’ Feliforms.” Pp. 64-90 in Carnivoran Evolution: New Views on Phylogeny, Form and Function edited by Anjali Goswami and Anthony Friscia. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge Studies in Morphology and Molecules.

Wilson, Don E.; and Cole, F. Russell. 2000. Common Names of Mammals of the World. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.

Wilson, Don E.; and Reeder, DeeAnn M. (editors). 2005. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed), Johns Hopkins University Press.

Wrobel, Murray (Editor). 2007. Elsevier's Dictionary of Mammals: Latin English German French Italian. Oxford, U.K.: Elsevier B.V.