Patterns and composition of medium and large vertebrate roadkill, based on six annual surveys along two adjoining highways in south-eastern Queensland, Australia
Robert W. Matthews
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA. Email: rmatthew@uga.edu
Australian Mammalogy 42(2) 171-175 https://doi.org/10.1071/AM19044
Submitted: 23 March 2019 Accepted: 4 July 2019 Published: 20 August 2019
Abstract
Six annual single-pass roadkill surveys along two adjoining rural Queensland highways near Carnarvon Gorge National Park revealed 612 medium-size to large vertebrates, representing more than 18 taxa. Most were mammals (92%), particularly macropods. Losses averaged 0.26 animals km–1 year–1 (range = 0.17–0.33), with variation possibly reflecting road repair/reconstruction and record seasonal rainfalls. Annual roadkill totals for the 390-km highway were projected to be over 5000 vertebrates, with more than half being large macropods. A consistent hotspot or ecological trap was noted along a 17-km high-traffic-volume stretch north of Roma. Because the sparsely populated outback is habitat for much Australian wildlife, multiyear baseline data are vital to identify the magnitude of the problem and inform future research.
Additional keywords: animal–vehicle collisions, citizen science, ecological trap, macropod, wildlife management.
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