Road Kills of Bufotes viridis (Laurenti, 1768): A Case Study from Konya Province of Turkey

Abstract

The present study reports vehicle collisions of Bufotes viridis (The green toad) in Konya province from Turkey. Our study was performed in more than fifty localities on Yunak-Akşehir highway (D-695). The records were taken in a short time; it is important and remarkable to come across a large number of dead individuals of an amphibian species in a short time. Among all recorded mortalities (n= 246), the highest value belonged to subadults (45% of the cases), followed by juveniles (35% of the cases). The lowest rate among the carcasses was belonged to the adult individuals (20% of the cases). There can be many factors that cause the road kills: These factors are grouped according to the literature under the headings of “direct causes”, “indirect causes” and “potential causes” for the road kills. In this study, we evaluated the effects of some factors for Bufotes viridis. In general, all terrestrial and semi-aquatic amphibian species, which populations are located the roadsides, suffer from road kills. Because of this situation, there is a need for both further studies and habitat restorations for amphibians.