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Saenz-Bolanos, C.; Montalvo, V.; Fuller, T.K.; Carrillo, E.
Records of black jaguars at Parque Nacional Barbilla, Costa Rica
2015 Cat News (62): 38-39
Melanism in jaguars _Panthera onca_ is rarely reported quantitatively, despite the suggestion that it appears to be more common than for any other large cats. Using camera traps in Parque Nacional Barbilla, Costa Rica, we obtained videos of more than 2 black and more than 3 yellow jaguars during April 2013 - January 2014. One previous record of a black jaguar has been reported from Costa Rica, but extensive camera trapping throughout the species' range has revealed few other records. We suspect that melanism in jaguars is rare, and thus, identifying the ecological circumstances under which black jaguars are more common will likely be elusive.
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