Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) popularly known as Manigordo. Gandoca-Manzanillo Refuge

(Leopardus pardalis)

Margay Ocelot or popularly known as Manigordo.

              Picture taken from page facebook Korrigan lodge Photo by Viditour

Recently some visitors were lucky enough to meet one of these cats in the wildlife refuge Gandoca-Manzanillo JMS.

In Costa Rica, the ocelot is considered an endangered species. It is protected by the Law of Conservation of Wildlife No. 7.317 of 1992. Included in Appendix I of CITES for Costa Rica species.

Popularly known in the Caribbean as a Manigordo is a feline species of medium size, weighing in the vicinity of 11 kg. They have big ears and great sense of hearing, with big eyes well adapted to changes in brightness.

They are nocturnal, spending most of the day sleeping in the branches of trees or hidden among the vegetation. It is solitary habits. It tends to ambush their prey.

              Picture taken from page facebook Korrigan lodge Photo by Viditour

It feeds on medium and small mammals; and, (rodents), birds and reptiles (snakes) opossums (Didelphis spp), monkeys (Alouatta spp. and Ateles spp.), sloft (Hoffmann's two-toed sloth), agoutis (Central American Agouti). They also eat turtle eggs.

They hunt alone or in family groups, and the success of the capture depend mostly on sight and hearing; the smell is also very developed, but this one usually used in the examination of the dam and the recognition of the territory urine marking by other males of the species.

Ocelot can inhabit a variety of ecosystems including mangrove forests and coastal marshes, prairie grassland and savannah, thorn scrub and tropical forests of all types (primary, secondary, deciduous and cloudy

The destruction of habitat is the main threat to their survival. In addition, this animal is sought by poachers in order to market their skin, because of the aesthetic values ​​it has.