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

GONZÁLEZ-CALDERÓN, ALVARO

STUDIES ON NEOTROPICAL FAUNA AND ENVIRONMENT

TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD

Año: 2020 p. 1 - 9

0165-0521

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 =