Seasonal and spatial patterns of mammalian road kill in northeastern Cordoba Province, Argentina

ABSTRACT

Wildlife–vehicle collisions are a serious conservation issue. In Argentina, wildlife road kill represents a threat to numerous species, especially around protected areas. With the aim of analyzing a possible seasonal and spatial patterns of mammalian death due to road kill, I sampled 97 km of the RP No. 17 in the south of multiple-use natural protected area ‘Bañados del Río Dulce y Laguna Mar Chiquita’ in Cordoba Province, Argentina. I analyzed the frequencies and density of road kill in winter 2015, spring 2015, and summer 2015/2016. The Kilometric Index of Abundance was used to identify the road stretches with elevated road kill. I recorded a total of 190 individuals representing 13 species. Of the mammalian species that inhabit the study area, more than 80% were affected by vehicle collisions. Three critical road stretches were identified. Mammalian mortality suggests a reduction of 42.36% between winter and spring. Lycalopex gymnocercus was the species with a statistically significant reduction (Mann–Whitney U, p = <0.03) in its road kill. Seasonal differences in mammalian mortality were likely due to seasonally variable behavior, abundances, and reproductive activity. This study provides to wildlife managers an opportunity to direct mitigation measures to reduce mammalian road kill.

KEYWORDS:

• Vehicle collisions
• protected area
• mammalians
• vulnerable species
• Argentina

Acknowledgments

This work was part of my master’s thesis in Wildlife Management at the National University of Cordoba, Argentina, and was supported by the Mexican Council of Science and Technology (COMECYT-Mexico) and by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. I appreciate the support provided by Juan Conrado Rosacher, Professor Estela Bonfiglio, and Ing. Oliver (General Directorate of Cadastre), and Ing. Gustavo Hilal (Cordoba Provincial Department of Roads). I am also grateful for the data, supplies, and accommodation provided by the staff of the Museum of Natural Sciences ‘Anibal Montes.’ I am grateful for the review in English language provided by Dante Francomano and María José Doiny, and for the information, equipment, and reviews provided by Ezequiel Vivas, Syxto Ferraira, Hugo Giraudo, Marcela Orozco, Pablo Michelutti, Diego Gurvich, Victor Merlino, and Paula Gonzalez Ciccia.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Mexican Council of Science and Technology [COMECYT-Mexico]; and by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.