Leopardus pardalis (Linnaeus, 1758)

Fig. 3 F Ocelot

Material examined.

Costa Rica • Puntarenas Province, Karen Mogensen Wildlife Refuge; 09°52'19"N, 085°03'31"W; 334 m alt.; 15.01.2018; tracks .

Identification.

Medium-sized spotted cat. The fur is usually short, pale sandy brown to pale yellow. The body is entirely covered with black spots, which on the flanks become elongated rosettes with brown centres and form a striped pattern on the sides. It may be confused with L. wiedii (see above), but larger and with a proportionately shorter tail, approximately 45 % of the head and body length (Wainwright 2007; Reid and Gόmez Zamora 2022). In the study area the ocelot is recorded in various habitat types in all seasons.