Date:
March 25, 2015
Source:
PLOS
Summary:
Ecopassages may be less effective reptile road mortality mitigation tools when fences fail to keep reptiles from accessing the road.
Roadways pose serious threats to animal populations and the use of tools, like fences and ecopassages, to mitigate road crossing mortality are becoming increasingly common. To evaluate the effectiveness of these tools, the authors of this study compared reptile abundance on an Ontario, Canada highway before and after fencing and ecopassage installation and at a control site from May to August in 2012 and 2013. Scientists used radio telemetry, cameras, and a tagging system to monitor reptile movements and use of ecopassages. Additionally, they conducted a willingness to utilize experiment to quantify turtle behavioral responses to ecopassages.
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