Hotspots and Season Related to Wildlife Roadkill in the Amazonia-Cerrado Transition

The construction of new roads opens access to native environments, resulting in changes to the landscape. These roads cause the death of native wildlife due to collisions with vehicles, which is the main cause of human-induced vertebrate death. This work aimed to investigate the spatial distribution of roadkills on the BR-163 highway, Mato Grosso, Brazil, an Amazonia-Cerrado transition zone, to identify roadkill hotspots. The study area consisted of 244 km of road. Twenty-five trips were made totaling 6100 km of surveyed roadway between 2008 and 2011. A total of 1005 individuals from 65 species was recorded in this study. Mammals were the most affected, both in number of individuals and species, followed by birds, reptiles, and amphibians. The species with the highest roadkill rates were Cerdocyon thous and Tyto furcata. Identified endangered mammals included Myrmecophaga tridactyla, Chrysocyon brachyurus, Priodontes maximus, Speothos venaticus, Tapirus terrestris, Pteronura brasiliensis, and Ateles marginatus. The highest rates of roadkill were recorded during the wet season. The location and number of hotspots varied among classes and were related to different environmental variables such as waterbodies, forest fragments, and agricultural areas. Roadkills may be a major threat for vulnerable species and should therefore be studied to define conservation plans for local species and road traffic.

Automated summary

The construction of new roads leads to changes in the landscape and causes the death of native wildlife due to vehicle collisions, which is the main cause of human-induced vertebrate death. This study investigated the distribution of roadkills on the BR-163 highway in Brazil and identified roadkill hotspots. Mammals were the most affected, followed by birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Endangered mammals were identified among the roadkill species. The location and number of hotspots varied among classes and were related to different environmental factors. Roadkills pose a major threat to vulnerable species and should be studied for conservation planning.