Roadkill on medium-sized mammals in a tropical region in southern Mexico

Abstract

Roads are an important driver of economic development. However, roads also produce negative impacts on humans and wildlife as noise contamination, pollution, habitat loss and fragmentation and mortality due to collisions. It has been observed that roadkill threatens populations of mammals, thus the importance for mitigating actions. Here, we documented roadkill of medium-sized mammals on a 114 km of highway located in southern Mexico. A total of 41 roadkill events were recorded of which the northern anteater Tamandua mexicana, the Mexican porcupine Coendou mexicanus, and the common hog-nosed skunk Conepatus leuconotus showed the highest frequency. The northern anteater is regionally considered at risk, and the other two species as threatened. It was estimated that approximately 36.2 medium-sized mammals are road killed annually, with the northern anteater ranking highest with a third of the total. Most of the collisions occurred at sites with less than 20 % tree cover and less than 350 m from water bodies; half occurred less than 500 m from the nearest highway curve. At the local scale, distance to water bodies and closeness to human settlements were significantly related to road collisions. At the landscape scale, the presence of water bodies was related to roadkill. This highway is acting as a sink for medium-sized mammal populations, particularly for the northern anteater. We propose to establish preventive actions such as reducing speed limits, putting speed bumps, driving fences, ropes, signs in strategic places, and police surveillance. We also propose a program to convince local inhabitants and drivers using this road of the importance of preventing roadkill of wildlife.