An inventory of amphibian roadkill in the western Soutpansberg, Limpopo province, South Africa

ABSTRACT

Increasing linear infrastructure development often impacts habitats and wildlife negatively. Roads, in particular, have numerous threats to wildlife with the most noticeable direct impact being roadkill, and this requires urgent conservation interventions. To assess amphibian roadkill, driven surveys were conducted on three regional roads around the western Soutpansberg in the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve, an important area for biodiversity conservation in South Africa. Six habitat types were identified along the monitored road stretches and their influence on the occurrence of amphibian roadkill was determined. The results comprised an inventory of 248 roadkill specimens, belonging to eight species and six families, and one unidentified specimen. Roadkill was strongly influenced by season, with the greatest roadkill rate recorded in the early wet season (0.051 roadkill km^–1 day^–1) compared to the late wet season (0.019 roadkill km^–1 day^–1). Amphibian roadkill patterns were related to roadside habitat. Of the roadside habitat types identified, road sections adjacent to waterbodies had the highest number of roadkill, followed by road sections closer to open savanna bushland. Roadkill frequency was low in areas that were partly located in human modified habitats (residential and agricultural areas) but highest in natural landscapes (near waterbodies and savanna bushland). The study provides baseline data that confirms the potential threat of roads and their users on the persistence of amphibians in the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve and presents the first systematic inventory of amphibian roadkill in the western Soutpansberg, South Africa.

KEYWORDS:

• amphibians
• road ecology
• roadkill
• threat
• Vhembe Biosphere Reserve

Acknowledgements

This project was funded by the GreenMatter fellowship and University of Venda, Research and Innovation Unit (Grant no. G418). The Medike Nature Reserve Manager, Oldrich van Schalkwyk, provided accommodation during the fieldwork and the Endangered Wildlife Trust logistical support. The authors thank L Tshivhuyawuvhi, T Mthisi, S Makwarela and K Mukhumeni for fieldwork assistance and R van Huyssteen and I Buthelezi for assistance in identifying roadkill specimens. We also thank the reviewers for taking the time and efforts necessary to review the manuscript.