Reptiles include many important prey and predator species and are integral to healthy ecosystem function. Reptiles encounter roads during seasonal migrations as well as during daily activities. Some reptiles avoid crossing roads, and others are attracted to them. Many species are prone to population declines due to wildlife‐vehicle collision or the barrier effects of roads. Variability in how roads affect different reptiles necessitates a diverse set of management and mitigation tools. Cases of management successes at seasonal hotspots for reptile road crossings exist, but development of best management practices and mitigation techniques has lagged behind those for larger terrestrial vertebrates.
Many reptiles encounter roads when making seasonal movements, while other species are attracted to roads for foraging, nesting or temperature regulation.
Most reptiles are poor at evading oncoming vehicles, and many drivers are poor at detecting or avoiding reptiles.
Turtles, many snakes and some lizards have biological traits that cause their populations to be highly vulnerable to road mortality and barrier effects of roads.
Because reptiles are cryptic and attract little attention, reptile population declines caused by roads may be frequent but infrequently detected.
While fencing and crossing structures or periodic road closures can reduce reptile road mortality and maintain habitat connectivity, they rarely mitigate all barrier effects caused by road avoidance.
Novel approaches for maintaining reptile populations include predictive models of crossing locations for mitigation planning and management of roadside habitat to modify reptile behaviour.
Road planners, ecological consultants and wildlife researchers should presume that roads and traffic present a risk to all reptile populations because the behaviour and demography of most species make them susceptible to road mortality and fragmentation. Some risks can be eliminated with proactive management, while others may only be reduced because the road and traffic still represent a significant modification to habitat. Furthermore, many effects on reptiles are difficult or impossible to mitigate retroactively because some species will always avoid open habitats, and in many instances, proposed mitigation options will not currently be supported due to additional costs, logistical challenges and lack of public support.
Reptiles
Overlooked but Often at Risk from Roads
Handbook of Road Ecology ; 271-280
01.04.2015
10 pages
Aufsatz/Kapitel (Buch)
Elektronische Ressource
Englisch
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