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Studies on the diet of the Jaguarundi are scarce; it feeds on small mammals, birds, and, to a lesser extent, fruits, reptiles, arthropods, and fish. We report eight food items for the species based on a review of the stomach contents of a female roadkill. We found the records of the snake Drymobius margaritiferus, the lizard Sceloporus sp., the rodent Sigmodon toltecus (two individuals), Passeriformes birds (three), and another snake belonging to Colubridae. A review of 11 other studies of jaguarundi food habits in Mexico and Brazil documents 120 food items, 59% of which are mammals, and most items reflect the diurnal behavior of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roadkill, the result of collisions between vehicles and wildlife, is becoming one of the most important conservation issues. This is especially evident in regions such as the Cerrado savannas which are under strong land use conversion, forcing animals to move more through the landscape and thus increasing exposure to roadkill. Herein, we assess the temporal and spatial patterns of roadkill of the striped hog-nosed skunk (Conepatus semistriatus) as well as its interaction with surrounding land use in the Brazilian Cerrado. To do so, we sampled BR-050, a nationally-important highway, for roadkilled C. semistriatus between 2015 and 2020 and used location and date to identify temporal and spatial patterns of roadkill. Furthermore, we assessed whether different land uses affected wildlife-vehicle collisions using a random forest model. We recorded 672 roadkilled individuals of C. semistriatus, and detected both monthly and yearly temporal hotspots as well as spatial hotspots. These hotspots were significantly surrounded by soy, which along with savannas and crops were the most impactful land uses. Since conservation practitioners need to know when and where there are higher risks of wildlife-vehicle collision, our results are essential for the conservation of C. semistriatus in the Cerrado by incorporating land use into roadkill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The negative effects of pesticide use in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are often blamed on the "misuse" of pesticides. The industry and government narrative is that the use of highly hazardous pesticides is safe when instructions are followed, and that harm occurs due to "irrational" and "improper" human behavior, linked to lack of knowledge by farmers. This assumption does not consider the real-life situations of pesticide users in LMICs, including structural, economic, and social barriers that make it impossible to follow "safety practices." This "blame the farmer" narrative leads to ineffective risk mitigation measures, perpetuating and increasing people's exposure to pesticide harms and endangering their lives. It is governments that allow the use of highly hazardous pesticides in their jurisdictions, and pesticide companies that produce them—not individual pesticide users in LMICs—who should bear the main responsibility for the prevention of the negative impact of these products. A human rights-based approach to pesticide management and the interpretation of international guidance that avoids the blaming narrative but puts real people, their health, and human rights first is needed to reduce and eliminate toxic exposure and save lives and health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research by Cynthia Irwin-Williams and the San Juan Valley Archaeological Project during the 1970s included investigations at Salmon Pueblo, near modern Bloomfield, NM. Interest focused on the construction and early occupation by immigrants from Chaco Canyon. Research also included the 80 km Great North Road, which joined Pueblo Alto at the southern end with Salmon Pueblo at the northern terminus. In order to investigate the North Road, Pierre Morenon conducted an intensive foot survey of the road trajectory and associated features. A large ceramic collection from the road and nearby sites was analyzed by Hayward Franklin. Pottery types dated mostly from 1050 to 1130 CE. A typical assemblage of decorated and utility pottery came northward from Chaco Canyon centers. Smaller amounts of northern San Juan pottery also occurred, signifying transport of ceramics and other goods southward from outliers at Salmon and Aztec Pueblos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Park tourist facility managers need to understand guests' preferences for elements of the accommodation experience to provide an ideal mix of attributes. Hedonic pricing models were used earlier to estimate the implicit effect of facilities' characteristics on room rates. But these models do not account for possible spatial variations in the relationships. This study assessed the global and spatial influence of facilities' attributes on room rates in Amboseli, Tsavo East, and Tsavo West National Parks, the three contiguous most visited parks in Kenya, an important wildlife tourism destination, using data from on–line and geographical information systems. Results of the global model indicate that the availability of buffet breakfast, bathrobes, plunge pools, and ecolodge designs positively influences room rates, while the distance to aesthetic appreciation hotpots inversely correlates to rates. The spatial model uncovering non–stationarity in estimating the effects of facilities' attributes on room rates, predicts that the causal effects are better in particular places. It also revealed that particular facility attributes influenced room rates more strongly than others. The results of the global model can help park managers design destination marketing programmes while the facilities may use the spatial model to derive indices for product design and marketing decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Road mortality caused by collisions with vehicles is the most tangible impact of road networks on wildlife. Neurological disorders in animals resulting from infectious diseases such as rabies can exacerbate the risk of road kills. To investigate this aspect, we examined 10 carnivores that had collided with cars and were subsequently transferred to the Bamou Rescue Centre. The Fluorescent Antibody Test (FAT) results were positive for rabies in four individuals. In addition to these four carnivores involved in vehicle collisions and found to be rabid, three other wild individuals in the province were reported to be infected with rabies without any history of road accidents. Rabies thus poses a significant threat to wildlife biologists, public health officials, and veterinarians who are typically involved in rescuing carnivores involved in road accidents. These findings emphasize the importance of veterinarians being knowledgeable about the potential causes and backgrounds of carnivore road accidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal-vehicle collisions (AVCs) are considered a major cause of wildlife mortality. This study identified carcasses of AVC-killed animals along a road network located south of Algiers. The results showed that different types of wild and domestic animals were killed by vehicles, mostly mammals. In terms of diversity, wild animals are more subjected to AVC than domestic ones. But, dogs were the most commonly reported. Hyaena hyaena, declared a threatened species, was also reported in this AVC study. Moreover, the road types' diversity and seasonal variation also affected the AVC-affected animals. More collaboration between fauna conservationists and road authorities seems to be urgent to reduce AVC in Algeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classification of fungi dates back to the nineteenth century. Earlier system of taxonomy involved certain key characteristics like, type of nutrition, cellular nature, motility, morphology of spores and reproductive structures. Recent advances in science have enlightened the road to diversity studies up to type species level. Molecular phylogeny remains the most latest methods of classification. Fungi are classified based on molecular characterization by various techniques like Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) sequencing, multi-locus sequence typing (MLST), whole genome sequences (WGS), Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs (BUSCO), target enrichment and Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT) sequencing. In this review fungal taxonomy from past to present is discussed with the taxonomical chart. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Brazil, the number of animals killed by vehicle collision surpasses 475 millions/year, but the actual number may be even higher since roadkill data in the country is scarce and punctual. Using a standard protocol, the project Caminhos da Fauna monitored since 2006 the avifauna roadkill in the BR-040 (RJ/MG) highway, southeastern Brazil. Here, we present a checklist of the avifauna registered during the 10-year monitoring program, including the list of roadkills, indicating threatening status at regional, national, and global levels, and the number of records/species. We registered 1,317 individuals belonging to 180 species, 21 orders, and 48 families. Another 247 individuals could not be identified. For seven families roadkills were higher than 50 individuals: Thraupidae, Cuculidae, Strigidae, Tyrannidae, Psittacidae, Columbidae, and Turdidae. The most collected species were Crotophaga ani (n = 106; Cuculidae), followed by Psittacara leucophthalmus (n = 61; Psittacidae), Piaya cayana (n = 56; Cuculidae), and Asio clamator (n = 44; Strigidae). Five species were under threat: Penelope obscura, Primolius maracana, Pteroglossus bailloni, Ramphastos vitellinus, and Sicalis flaveola. Most species were geographically widespread, while other 13 (7.2%) were endemic. Given the considerable amount of data obtained, further efforts of the same motivation in other Brazilian roads and express transportation systems should be encouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper tries to breakdown 12 years of research on storm water harvesting systems that can aid in flood mitigation by methodically evaluating the existing literature and identifying relevant research gaps. Bibliometric co-citation meta-analysis is used to understand decentralized storm water harvesting methods that can aid in flood management. 165 articles from multiple disciplines in scopus database are used in this study to identify literature pertaining to flood mitigation techniques using storm water harvesting methods. Further these articles where analyzed for their scientific productivity, relevance and collaboration. Also the VOS viewer software and Bibliometrix R Package software were employed for visualization. The results of this study revealed that most of such studies focus on urban context. Thus, the study offers academics and practitioners a pertinent multidisciplinary platform for research on urban water security and encourages the growth of further knowledge on this subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traffic safety is arguably the most important traffic metric from a human perspective. Still, many millions of people are killed on roads every year. In this paper, the concept of Herd Immunity for Traffic Safety (HITS) is presented for the first time. This concept focuses on identifying and describing the increased level of safety that is achieved when Connected Automated Vehicles (CAV) and Human Driven Vehicles (HDV) co-exist in mixed traffic. The underlying mechanism is described with a key component being the ability of CAVs to absorb human error and reduce exposure to risk. With increasing levels of CAV penetration, so-called tipping points occur in which the traffic safety grows in proportion to the penetration rate, which is demonstrated by the non-linearity of the penetration–risk relationship. This is demonstrated in theory and experimental cases while requirements to understand and apply the concept more extensively in the future are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This commentary replies to Joshua Newman's article and 'counter narrative' about the Rudd government's proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS), shelved in 2010. Newman argues that other analyses of the CPRS amount to a 'prevailing narrative' that Labor should have pursued an alliance with the Greens and independents for stronger climate mitigation policy rather than bipartisan Coalition support in parliament. His narrower empirical focus on parliamentary norms and practices is not sufficient for establishing a compelling explanation of the events surrounding the CPRS. Newman's analysis is valuable, but it gives us a weak grip on the key issues of interpretation and explanation we're all facing with regard to that political moment. I reflect on the methodological challenges when establishing meaning and causation in political analysis of the CPRS because it involves evaluating party-political strategy amid a deepening crisis for the state as it (mis)manages climate change with ad hoc market solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is one of the main contributing causes of serious road traffic crashes (RTCs). This study aimed to investigate the involvement of alcohol and drugs in driver fatalities in Norway during 2011–2020 and compare the findings with data from the previous decade. We linked the results of forensic toxicology testing for alcohol and the 17 most commonly used drugs assigned with legal limits with data on fatal road traffic crashes obtained from Statistics Norway and the Norwegian Public Roads Administration. The number of fatalities had decreased significantly since the previous decade, while the proportion of drivers and riders tested for alcohol and drug use increased. Blood alcohol concentrations at the legal limit or higher were found in 14.4% and psychoactive drugs were detected in 15.8% of the cases; 10.7% tested positive for illicit drugs, and 10.1% for medicinal drugs. The most prevalent illicit drugs were tetrahydrocannabinol (7.9%) and amphetamine/methamphetamine (4.7%), whereas the most prevalent medicinal drugs were clonazepam (3.7%) and diazepam (2.2%). There was a marked reduction in the number of motor vehicle drivers killed in RTCs compared with the previous decade, and also a reduction in the prevalence of alcohol. For other substances, there were no marked changes in the prevalence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate prediction of accident severity has become an active area of research in recent years, although studies in certain regions such as South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa are comparatively less. In this study, we aim to contribute in many ways: (i) we conduct an analytical review of the literature to gauge the interest and scope of existing studies and identify the direction for further research, and (ii) a mixture of old and relatively new artificial intelligence (AI) techniques is applied to road accident data of India (iii) we employ shapley additive explanations (SHAP) for interpretation of AI model predictions, and (iv) an AI-enabled accident management system is proposed. The findings suggest that AI models are capable of predicting the accident severity. Precisely, the gradient boosting machine attains the best test accuracy. Among features, commercial vehicles, excess speed, national highways, and pedestrians' fault are responsible for accidental road killings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enrollment pressures and other considerations spur Master of Public Administration online offerings, and specific skillsets are needed for implementation. Online program management providers (OPMs) are for-profit companies that bundle services to establish academic programs in exchange for tuition revenue sharing agreements, upfront fees, or a combination of the two. In such relationships, principal-agent problems may arise in which a company's profit motives conflict with a university's larger set of goals and, as a result, stakeholders should recognize the dynamic. However, the lack of industry transparency and emerging business models impede easy understanding. Analysis of contracts obtained through open records requests and other documents (a) identifies available services and (b) reveals potential problems as well as mitigation tactics. Findings contribute to our understanding of what OPM agreements entail, including the contributions made by faculty and other university personnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much of the roadkill of wild animals is accidental, but some drivers intentionally target animals, especially those that are culturally stigmatized such as reptiles and amphibians. We aimed to evaluate the incidence of intentional snake roadkill on two highways in the Triângulo Mineiro, a Cerrado region in the Minas Gerais state, Brazil. We placed on the roadsides of each highway 40 snakes (40 pre-made models and 15 snake carcasses) and 40 plastic bottles filled with soil. The behavior of swerving the vehicle to hit the object was characterized as an intentional roadkill. Our sampling effort was 160 hours. We observed intentional roadkill, totaling 23 snakes and 12 controls hit on BR-050 highway and five snakes and five controls on MG-223 highway. Contrary to what we expected, drivers swerve to run over anything. Carcasses and models were hit with the same frequency. The characteristics of the highways influenced the number of intentional roadkill, most of them occurred on uphill lanes and were caused by trucks. Our study confirms the behavior of swerving the route to run over a wild animal as an intentional act. Therefore, measures to preserve wildlife are necessary, such as awareness campaigns and the creation of wildlife passages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roads represent a severe threat to wildlife populations, especially during the rainy season when animals move between habitats to feed and reproduce. We monitored roadkilled amphibians and reptiles in a 2.5-km stretch of a secondary road in the state of Bahia, Brazil, for 47 days from November 2021 to February 2022. Our surveys registered 838 dead individuals of 18 identified species; most were amphibians of the family Leptodactylidae (87.5%), primarily juveniles. We often found individuals close to two extensive swamps at the road's edge. Reptiles (snakes and turtles) represented only 1.3% of all observed roadkill. Our results show that a single spot on a secondary road can significantly impact the local herpetofauna, and we emphasize the need for mitigation measures to avoid further population declines. Collisions with vehicles caused mass mortality and threaten amphibian and reptile populations on a road in Bahia state, Brazil. These populations involved 18 species with terrestrial and aquatic habits. Juveniles of amphibians were the most affected animals. Most roadkill was observed at the edge of the road in a stretch close to two swamps. Mitigation actions are necessary to curb roadkill of amphibians and reptiles at local and regional scales in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate discovery of disease-outbreak source areas plays a critical role in the effective containment of epidemics at an early stage. Existing relevant methods are mostly implemented by tracing the source of disease outbreaks directly from the distribution of confirmed cases in the Euclidean space. In reality, in most respiratory infectious diseases, crowd gathering caused by resident trips significantly increases the risk of exposure to potentially infected persons, making it the driving force behind the outbreak of the disease. In light of this, this study proposes a network-constrained ring-shaped hotspot detection method based on the classical spatial scan statistic model. This new method can be used to determine the sizes of the scanning window in an adaptive manner by using the information of the trip distance distributions. Considering the centered traffic analysis zone in each hotspot as a candidate outbreak source area, a multi-factor coupling model was designed by characterizing both the areal vibrancy and resident trip distributions to further identify the potential disease-outbreak source areas. A case study on the outbreaks of COVID-19 in Wenzhou, China, was carried out to evaluate the practicability and effectiveness of the proposed method. The comparison results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method for detecting areas and sources of outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hit-and-run crashes account for about 14% of total accidents (MoRTH 2017) in India despite it being a cognizable offense under the Indian motor vehicle act of 1988. Hit-and-run crashes also account for a significant number of pedestrian crashes. A better understanding of these crashes is required to reduce the severity of pedestrian crashes. Recent reports claim that there is an increase in the number of fatal victims concerning pedestrians in 2017 over 2016. The number of pedestrians killed in road accidents has climbed from 15,746 in 2016 to 20,457 in 2017 (29.9% increase). Nine years of pedestrian crash data from the RADMS database (2009–2017) for the state of Tamilnadu were used in this study. This study explores several factors that increase the likelihood of pedestrian hit-and-run crashes, including temporal factors, environmental factors, crash characteristics, and road features. One hundred ten variables under 30 factors were assessed for statistically significant association with hit-and-run crashes. The results of the present study show that the perpetrator's tendency to leave the spot of crash increases in the dark unlighted conditions. Increased likelihood of hit-and-run crashes is found during summer, winter season and in urban areas. Among pedestrian characteristics, pedestrians who are intoxicated, pedestrian locations such as footpath, crossing the road and shoulder, pedestrian victims who are injured significantly contribute to hit-and-run crashes. Factors such as day of the week, road category, collision cause, vehicle type, weather conditions, driver alcohol status, pedestrian residence type, and traffic movement were found to be statistically not significant with a 90% confidence interval. We finally discuss a few recommendations based on the results and intervention that can reduce hit-and-run pedestrian fatalities and injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring wildlife roadkills is a valuable method to identify critical areas where animals are more susceptible to collision with vehicles, likewise, this type of work can let us know which species are more vulnerable to this human impact. Besides these relevant utilities used for mitigation purposes, this effort can provide very important information about the biology, ecology and biogeography of species. In this paper, we report new geographic records found while working on a road ecology study. These data increase the distribution of six snakes' species (Anilius scytale, Drymarchon corais, Erythrolamprus breviceps, Micrurus lemniscatus, Oxyrhopus vanidicus and Trilepida anthracina), from which, four show scarce and almost inexistent historical records (Anilius scytale, Drymarchon corais, Erythrolamprus breviceps, and Trilepida anthracina). We encourage researchers, especially road ecologists, to notice and report these observations, which can be highly valuable for expanding the knowledge of species distributions, a key factor forconducting integral studies of fauna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, traffic associated with roads that pass through protected areas are the cause of many negative impacts on wildlife, such as wildlife roadkill, which has occurred within the Serengeti ecosystem. A 200 km stretch of gravel road networks that passes through the Serengeti ecosystem was surveyed in 2015 for five consecutive days during each study period during the wet and dry seasons, between March and August 2015, to document the magnitude, patterns and composition of wildlife roadkill. We found a total of 51 wildlife roadkills that consisted of 26 species of wild animals and included 18 bird and 8 mammal species. Bird species (60.8%) were more frequently killed than mammal species (39.2%). Moreover, a higher incidence of wildlife roadkill was recorded in the morning (56.9%) than in the afternoon (43.1%) and more mammals (51.7%) than birds (48.3%) were recorded in the morning. Greater numbers of wildlife roadkill were recorded along road segments with good road conditions (69.4%) that were wider (>8 m) and with higher traffic volumes than along roads with poor conditions (30.6%). Overall, the Cape hare (Lepus capensis) was the most frequently killed species (17.6%) among the mammals, whereas the helmeted guineafowl (Numida meleagris) (13.7%) was most frequently killed among the avifauna. To reduce the number of roadkill incidents, we recommend changing driver speeding behaviours by installing wildlife-warning signage that consists of picture-based signs, because they have been proved to be more effective than word-based signs to reduce speeds and hence, reduce collisions. Additionally, the responsible management authorities should provide education to drivers on safe driving and enforcement of laws and regulations. Further, policy briefings that focus on wildlife roadkill should be made available to assist decision-makers and engineers to improve road design in protected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Road traffic injuries (RTIs) are a major, global problem. Few studies on RTIs have been conducted in Namibia, despite having one of the highest RTI rates globally. We conducted multinomial logistic regression on national Namibian datasets on RTIs 2012-2014. Being a motorcyclist was associated with the greatest risk of being injured (adjusted Relative Risk Ratio (aRRR) 82.1 (95% CI 47.2-142.9)) or killed (aRRR 202.1 (112.7-362.7)). Risks were also elevated for cyclists (57.3 (23.6-139.5)), pedestrians (15.8 (13.2-18.9), passengers (6.1 (5.2-7.2)), relative to drivers. Among those admitted to hospital, the method of transportation to hospital had the largest association with the risk of dying. To our knowledge this study presents new information on vulnerability of different road users, which can be of use to policymakers to develop specific and targeted interventions to protect the most vulnerable road users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the absence of pharmaceutical interventions for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), countries have taken drastic steps like quarantine, prohibit large-scale gatherings, limited transport, social distancing, curfews, and lockdowns to curtail the spread of the virus. In light of these events, the current study attempts to understand the short-term changes in road traffic patterns, using data from two Wi-Fi MAC Scanners deployed at strategic locations in Chennai, India. The results indicate that the road traffic activities significantly reduced due to the restrictions in non-essential trips, workplace suspensions, and strict surveillance during lockdowns. However, as the lockdown rules eased, the road traffic activities began to recover. It is found that complete closedown is most effective in reducing road travel activity, but ad-hoc short duration complete closedowns may only yield temporary benefits. Also, extended lockdowns without proper enforcement may be ineffective since the public appeared to ignore the advisory after a while. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Like all human action that changes ecosystems, roads contribute to habitat fragmentation, acting as barriers and, consequently, causing biodiversity loss. Given the need for studies related to roadkill of wild animals, especially in the Atlantic Forest, and the vulnerability of mammal species to roadkill on the roads, we analyzed roadkill data of medium and large mammals. The study was carried out in a 100 km stretch of the BR-262 road, Atlantic Forest biome, in the Espírito Santo state. We obtained roadkill mammals' carcasses by 42 monitoring campaigns, between January 2017 and January 2018. We recorded 259 carcasses of 22 species, which resulted in a roadkill rate of 0.062 mammal/km/day. We found that roadkill rates are higher in rainy months and lower in dry ones. We found support that three variables best predicted roadkill occurrence in the BR-262 road (i.e. positive relationship with forest cover, and accumulated precipitation 'rainfall', and negative relationship with speed reducers). These results indicate an alarming impact on the mammalian fauna at the site and reinforce the need for management measures and actions to reduce the mortality of wild mammals on the roads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Future land-use change could supplement populations of opportunistic predatory birds, such as corvids, resulting in amplified predation pressure and negative effects on populations of other avian species. We investigated whether Forest Ravens (Corvus tasmanicus) were more likely to be observed in modified landscapes and in areas of higher roadkill density in south-eastern Tasmania. Following this, we examined the effect of Forest Raven density on the abundance of other birds. We surveyed birds along roadsides to investigate the effects of land-use and raven population density on the presence of smaller birds/songbirds. We used species distribution models and generalised linear models to assess the habitat and population dynamics of Forest Ravens. Roadkill presence increased the probability of observing ravens more than six-fold. Forest Raven presence was also higher in agricultural areas than in forested and urban areas. There was no effect of Forest Raven abundance on species richness or abundance of smaller songbirds. This null result may be due to seasonal effects or because ravens moderate the presence or abundance of other avian predators. However, the interactions of meso-predators with other species are complex, and further work is required to assess the long-term effects of anthropogenic supplementation of ravens on the ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal mortality due to collisions with vehicles in roads are a major threat to biodiversity; however, there is still much to learn about this problem in the tropical Andes hot spot. We describe general patterns of bird mortality associated with the presence of a road that bisects Cajas National Park (CNP), in the southern high Andes of Ecuador. We use a published study of the abundance of species in the study area, and explored if there were particular ecological traits that predisposed species to collisions with vehicles. Roadkill data were gathered by collecting carcasses on 15 km of a main road that crosses páramo grasslands. Overall we found carcasses of 23 species. Bird mortality rate was four individuals per km per year. We found an association between roadkills and the abundance of species in areas close to the road. Moreover, forest species were less likely to be road-killed than species with other habitat preferences. Our results can be used to ameliorate roadkills in CNP and to raise concern on the direct effects of roads in the páramo of the Tropical Andes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This article has two broad aims. The first is to treat and write of nonhuman animals and their lives, deaths, and suffering at the hands of humans and human infrastructure as important to theory, politics, and policy. The second is to explore how social theory can think creatively about specific examples in which nonhuman animals are affected by and need more from human infrastructures – especially those built for human mobility. These two broad aims will be narrowed to consider nonhuman animal deaths upon roads, focused on the potential for enriching human and nonhuman animal life through creative thinking, ethically minded road design, and the acknowledgement of shared vulnerability. In pursuit of these aims it will necessarily focus attention on the experience of human mobility on nonhuman animals, forging an approach that keeps an ethics of entanglement and care at the forefront. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hedgehogs (Erinaceous europaeus), rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) were 93.4% of 1390 mammal carcasses counted during 92 trips along a 63.2 km route, 2009–2014, through peri-urban and farmland habitats. Pukeko (Porphyriomelanotus) and swamp harriers (Circus approximans) constituted 29% of the 466 bird road-kill. Comparisons indicate the recovery of hedgehog and rabbit populations from declines to 2005 and 2009, respectively, and the increased suppression of possum populations, consistent with disease and pest control trajectories. Road-kill density was spatially and temporally aggregated. Seasonal peaks reflected species-specific periodicity in breeding and dispersal. Carcass densities varied positively with traffic volume and did not asymptote with increasing traffic up to 25,000 vehicles per day. Kill rates per vehicle were maintained at the highest traffic volumes. Busier roads were not avoided by wildlife and could be substantial demographic sinks and barriers to their spread. We discuss the implications for wildlife management and conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Despite expanding road networks, there is limited understanding of the effects of roads on wildlife in East Africa. We present a baseline survey and describe the patterns of roadkill in the Tarangire–Manyara ecosystem of Tanzania. A 75 km stretch of the Arusha Highway that passes adjacent to Manyara Ranch and Lake Manyara National Park was studied for 10 consecutive days in November 2013 (the rainy season). Wildlife species killed on the road, roadkill frequency and road characteristics were determined. A total of 101 roadkill were recorded (0.13 roadkill km−1) comprising 37 species from all terrestrial vertebrate groups, of which two species, house cat (Felis catus) and domestic dog (Canis lupus), were domesticated species. Birds were the most frequently killed taxon (50%), followed by mammals (30%), reptiles (17%) and amphibians (3%). Excluding birds, roadkill primarily consisted of nocturnal species (65%) versus diurnal species (35%). Most roadkill (77.3%) were encountered on road stretches adjacent to protected areas of Manyara Ranch and Lake Manyara National Park compared with 22.7% on the road stretches adjacent to non-protected areas. These findings highlight that roads are a potential threat to wildlife in East Africa and serve as a baseline for future comparisons. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The planned upgrade of a minor road in Brisbane connecting two suburbs through a forested area raised concerns about possible increases in road-kill in an area of high wildlife abundance and diversity. Extensive consultation with community representatives resulted in the incorporation of traffic calming devices in the design of the forested section of the road. To assess the effectiveness of these, road-kill surveys were carried out before and after the upgrade and vehicle numbers and speeds were obtained from traffic census data. Vehicle numbers almost doubled following the upgrade. The number of road-kills increased by a factor of three after the upgrade but there were marked differences for different sections of the road, with higher rates in suburban areas and lower rates in the forest section. The study supports previous work showing the importance of low speeds for reducing road-kill and showing that low speeds are best achieved by the inclusion of traffic calming devices in the road design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last few decades, in Italy as in the rest of EU, both the number of wild ungulates and the volume of traffic have increased significantly. Consequently, ungulate-vehicle collisions have increased with significant costs in human death and injury, animal welfare and material damage. In this study we provide information about temporal patterns of collisions in a subalpine Italian region. We analyzed 1110 reports of accidents that occurred in Cuneo district from January 2008 to December 2011. Most of them were caused by roe deer and wild boar, while red deer, fallow deer and chamois were occasionally involved. Monthly distribution of accidents showed two peaks, with a higher risk of collision during spring mainly related to roe deer and a secondary peak in autumn caused by wild boar. No evident daily variations were noticed. In the case of roe deer, we reported the existence of a primary hourly peak at dusk and another secondary peak at dawn. Wild boar were most frequently involved in collisions during dusk and night. We hypothesized that these temporal distributions are the result of a complex interaction of phenological, behavioral and human-related reasons. Information provided in this study allows us to better understand the dynamics and patterns of wildlife-car collisions and represents an indispensable element for the implementation of any mitigation strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Nonhuman animals are part of the dynamism that typifies cities, yet prior research has obscured this condition by focusing upon a limited subset of animals and the privatized spaces that contain them. Consequently, previous research provides little guidance in developing a post-human conception of cities. This paper redresses this deficiency by redefining conceptions of "the public" and analyzing data from San Diego's Dead Animal Removal Program (DARP). Commensurate with modern political conceptions, "the public" is defined simultaneously as a spatial formation and (akin to democracies) a quantitative body of bodies. The DARP data indicate the pervasive presence of nonhuman animals in urban environments and the difficulties they face. As a nexus, the DARP illustrates bow urban practices and bureaucratic systems reinstantiate "the public" in humanized form through the death and disposal of nonhumans. These hybrid relations challenge geographic methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourists’ experiences of Tasmanian road kill illustrate the juncture at which the representatives and representations of a nation – Australian native animals – human cultural practices and technology collide on the public road. Auto-mobility is a powerful medium through which people experience nature, comfortably insulated against the environment outside, the very world their travels have taken them to explore. In this article I demonstrate the personalisation of the mobilities paradigm, noting that the tourists’ portable world intersects – and sometimes literally collides with – the local animal mobility system. The ease of a couple travelling together on a road trip includes spontaneous conversation and unguarded observations. Explicit personal dialogue about what is seen on the journey is exposed for its power to trigger subsequent academic analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Few studies have addressed mortality causes of neotropical mammals on roads, especially considering the extensive road system and biodiversity. The goal of this article was to examine the biological factors related to mortality of non-volant mammals on roads of an Atlantic Forest-Cerrado interface in Brazil. Mammals were recorded during a seven-year period and over 3900 km of roads, in order to estimate data for abundance of species in habitats (areas) and frequencies of species killed by cars on roads. Areas (n = 80) within two adjacent ecoregions (Atlantic Forest, n = 23; Cerrado, n = 57) were searched for records of mammals. Thirty-two species were surveyed, comprising 480 dead mammals on the roads and 503 records of the presence of species in adjacent habitats. Ten species that have been recorded in these habitats were never found dead on the roads, which could indicate road avoidance behaviour. Correlations and multiple regressions showed that abundance is the more important variable influencing road kill, followed by habit (nocturnal/diurnal) and threat category. Therefore, large-sized and threatened species tended not to be run over, as well as agile, mostly diurnal, or recent, advanced species (carnivorous or herbivorous). The data are discussed in the light of Road Impact Index (RII), with five species exhibiting high RII (Cerdocyon thous, Dasypus novemcinctus, Euphractus sexcinctus, Myrmecophaga tridactyla and Tamandua tetradactyla) being run over more than expected bases on their abundance, and dozens of species exhibiting lower RII, belonging to those avoiding or being isolated by roads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frequency of vehicle strikes on western weka (Gallirallis australis australis), a flightless endemic New Zealand rail, on the roading network at Cape Foulwind was examined by counting weka carcasses on roads and roadsides. Over the two-year study on 25.1 km of rural road, 300 weka carcasses were recorded at a rate of 6.0 km-1 year-1. Carcasses were found most frequently in the vicinity of intersections, and on roads with higher vehicle speeds and volumes. Road-kill was highest in the spring months and lowest during the autumn months. Seasonal mortality differences were found to be associated with weka life history characteristics rather than with seasonal changes in traffic volumes. Most weka killed were male (73%) and <3 years old (90%). Further work is required to assess whether mortality from road-kill is reducing this weka population at present. Some possible mitigation measures are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We compare the number of medium-sized animals (between rat and dog-size) killed repeated counts along the same 1660 km of North Island highways in 1984, 1994 and 2005 with other counts going back to 1949. Eleven mammal and bird species were recorded, but Australian possums (Trichosurus vulpecula), hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) and rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) predominated, and pukekos (Porphyrio porphyrio), mynas (Acridotheres tristis), and Australian magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen) were the most common birds. Counts of possums, hedgehogs and rabbits ranged between 0.7 and 89 corpses/100 km, and changed dramatically over six decades. The possum count rose 80% between 1984 and 1994, but declined 60% by 2005. A possible irruption of hedgehogs reported in 1988-89, followed by an 82% decline in their numbers between 1994 and 2005. Although rabbit hemorrhagic disease was introduced to New Zealand in 1997, rabbit road-kill increased 59% between 1994 and 2005. The relationship between road-kill and traffic volume indicates that roads carrying more than 3000 vehicles per day act as barriers to larger mammals, while vehicles on less busy roads are more dangerous for crossing animals. We suggest that regular counts taken at annual intervals over the same roads is a useful method for gathering information about the changing distribution and relative abundance of certain animals on a provincial or national scale and over long periods of time. Regular counts at seasonal, monthly or weekly intervals are also a rich source of information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the first detailed study of the timing and breeding success of an apparently declining population of blue penguins (Eudyptula minor) on the West Coast, South island, New Zealand. Nest contents of 138 natural burrows and 19 nest boxes were determined at regular intervals during the 2006 breeding season. Hatching, fledging, and overall breeding success rates were comparatively high at 78.9, 83.9, and 66.2%, respectively, suggesting that the apparent population decline cannot be explained solely by low breeding success. With 1.18 fledglings produced per pair, productivity was lower than on the east coast of the South island, possibly due to the absence of double clutching. The high incidence of road kills suggests that road traffic may be a major contributing factor to the decline of the blue penguin population in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Repeated counts of road-killed animals have revealed sites where possums (Trichosurus vulpecula), rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus), gulls (Larus dominicanus, L. novaehollandiae) and shags (Phalacrocorax carbo) were killed in unusual numbers. These "blackspots" were not correlated with the volume of traffic, but were mapped at or near places where animals are presumed to crowd together or were most likely to venture onto the road. For example, in Hawkes Bay, 81% of possum corpses were counted on or within 200 m of road bridges, and a disproportionate number of hedgehogs were also killed on bridges or approaches to bridges. At least in this area, human and animal traffic blackspots did not coincide. I suggest that this information could be useful to agencies controlling the spread of tubercular possums, and the technique of systematic counting of road-kills could be extended to National Parks and other areas of natural interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The behaviour and activities of 6 458 raptora (Accipitridae and Falconidae) and 1 947 Corvidae in the Karoo, South Africa, were recorded during the period January 1988 to June 2000 (n = 208 surveys) over a total distance of 90 012km. A significantly larger proportion of raptors and corvids were recorded foraging in road verges, or flying along roads than foraging or flying over rangelands. About 21% of all observations of crows feeding or foraging were associated with road-kills, whereas less than 2% of observations of feeding and foraging Accipitridae and Falconidae were associated with road-kills. The most frequent Accipitridae feeding on road-kills were Pale Chanting Goshawk (Melierax canorus), Yellow-billed Kite (Milvus migrans parasitus) and Jackal Buzzard (Buteo rufofuscus). There was no seasonal pattern in the number of crows feeding on roadkills, although there was a trend for more mammals to be killed on the roads, and thus more available food, in winter (June). It is likely that Accipitridae and Falconidae are attracted to roads by the availability of perches and the relatively productive road verges rather than the availability of road-killed animals, whereas crows may be attracted by road-kills as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nightjars throughout the Afrotropical Region regularly frequent roads at night and during the twilight of dusk and dawn. Most species exhibit this behaviour and numerous individuals are killed by road traffic. Many theories have been advanced to explain the presence of nightjars on roads at night, but very little fieldwork has been carried out to test them. For a period of a year we carried out a weekly survey of nightjars on a selected road network near Harare in Zimbabwe. All nightjar encounters were documented in relation to variations in road surface, road width, adjacent habitat, arc of sky visible and other variables, such as the time of night, moon phase and weather conditions. None of these factors provided a complete explanation for the presence of nightjars on the roads surveyed. Neither were any of the nightjars seen dust bathing, taking grit or picking up insects from the road. Many were seen actively hunting flying insects, especially at dusk, and palpation of the stomachs of those caught confirmed that they had fed well during the evening hours. They, were clearly using the road as an observation platform for hunting during the first few hours after sunset and then as a convenient place for resting and digesting. A nightjar sitting on an open road is certainly in a good position to see flying insects silhouetted against the twilight sky. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes the use of roadkills in the study of historical geology and paleontology. Physical characteristics of fossils and roadkills; Preparation of teaching aids; Agents of dismemberment and flattening.

The article reports on the relative use of road-based resources of the Cape Crows and Pied Crows. Pied Crows and Cape Crows were recorded to be foraging and frequently feeding on road kills, garbage at roadside picnic sites, grain spillages. They share the same resources offered by roads, but not equally. Pied Crows feed on road kills on the road surface, whereas Cape Crows focus their activities on road verges.

Reports on the `Roadkill Project' to count the number of and determine the kinds of animals killed each year by American motorists. Finding of wider highways as less dangerous to animals than small roads; Observation of chain-reaction killings; Use of the information by highway officials to avoid ecosystem fragmentation or to create public education programs.