Also - one of the breeders I've been looking at has an F1 female who is supposedly 80% (She is f1 x Serval) and looks very Serval like, would an F2b from this female (apose to a female who is say 50%) provide me with a larger more Serval like cat?
You've already received good info from others but there are a few more things I'd like to emphasize. There's "serval-like" in looks, "serval-like" in size, and "serval-like" in personality. If you manage to hit the jackpot and get the golden triad of a servally looking, large Savannah with a serval-like personality you really really really need to understand how that can impact your life. It's better to approach the purchase of an SV from the perspective that all the negative traits possible in a cat may come with yours and how will you handle that.
Servals tend to bond to 1 or 2 humans and show their love and appreciation by peeing all over their humans and their habitat. They can't be left with just anyone if you want a vacation. If you tire of the responsibility, rehoming comes with a whole bushel full of issues.
Higher percentage SVs may exhibit all or some of those traits to lesser or same degree. A lot depends on the ethics of the breeder, how the cats are raised, and personality of the cat.
Here's my experience:
F1 male, 27 lbs. (serval looks, size, and personality) -- I'm his #1 human. He tolerates my husband and some visitors to the home. Occasionally I have to put him in a room when visitors come who he doesn't like as he will challenge them. When he likes people he is a sweet purring heat butting machine; when he doesn't like them, he is a hissing, slapping, defensive, scary animal. I can administer meds to him and touch him everywhere. He is calm and easy for me to handle. No one else can touch him the same way. He has to be anesthetized for every single vet visit -- thankfully only for his yearly exams so far -- because he is too difficult for them to handle. In my state, rabies vaccines are not seen as effective in Savannahs so they are not required. All of my SVs are indoor cats and their potential exposure to rabies is minimal. If they bite someone, my vet has said they would be immediately euthanized. Even if they've been given the vaccine, they'd be killed. That's something to think about if you're state is the same. So that's why 3 of my 4 SVs are anesthetized for vet visits. It also protects both the staff and cat from inadvertent injury.
I introduced him to our cat sitter the first week he was home. He likes her but when we are away too long, say 2 week or more, he will start to test her and she has learned how to handle it, but she is a bit afraid of him when he acts up. He has knocked her down a few times during play -- not maliciously, but because he's so darn large and strong. If you intend to ever leave home for a day or more you'll need to introduce your cat sitter early on.
F2 male, 22 lbs. -- He wasn't properly socialized by his breeder and it took 3 years of hard work for me to be able to pet him without being injured. He is a cat's cat and prefers their company over humans. I cannot, after nearly 9 years, pick him up. He won't let me handle him to medicate him. I'm not willing to endure deep bites and scratches over a long period of time, so there will be no treatment for him if he becomes chronically or seriously ill and that is a worry I live with daily.
F2 male 17 lbs. -- Loves everyone. Difficult to medicate but the level of injuries possible are not as great as with the other F2 because he exercises self-control with me. Even at 17 lbs, he is so strong that the vet wants him asleep for exams.
F6 male 11 lbs. -- Easiest to handle simply because of his size but he is the biggest trouble maker. He becomes a wimp at the vet's and as long as I hold him, rather than a vet tech, he doesn't have to be anesthetized. He has territorial aggression and attacks the other cats if a neighborhood cat happens to come round our house. He also hates the 22 lb F2. To keep peace in the house, the F6 is on a daily dose of Prozac.
So there you have it -- some examples of challenges you may face regardless of size or generation. If size is all you want, a Maine Coon is a better choice. You'll get the awesome SV personality regardless of generation and the size factor lends a whole other aspect to living with these cats.
For a taste of what it's like living with a high gen SV, read The Atticus Diaries
http://www.savannahcatchat.com/threads/the-atticus-diaries.4428/ My 17 lb F2 exhibits the same traits as my F1 but the F2 is more stubborn.
