ROADKILL OCCURRENCE OF Cerdocyon thous (Linnaeus, 1766) AND Lycalopex gymnocercus (G. Fisher, 1814) IN SOUTHERN BRAZIL

Abstract

Despite being important for the country’s development, roads may have impacts on the ecosystems where they occur, as well as the wild populations that live there. Several species are at risk of being run over on the highways, including taxa considered common and abundant. Of these species Crab-eating-fox (Cerdocyon thous) and Pampas-fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus) are susceptible to the impacts of highways and as a result this study aims to evaluate the occurrence of roadkills of C. thous and L. gymnocercus in highways in the Araucaria Plateau, Rio Grande do Sul. Monthly surveys were conducted from May / 2016 to April / 2017, along eight sections of state and federal highways of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The surveys were performed in a motor vehicle, searching for carcasses of the target species. 25 animals killed by running over were recorded, 18 were C. thous and seven L. gymnocercus, but no significant difference was observed between the species or sections evaluated. However, the asphalt highways with the highest traffic volume had the highest running over concentrations. The presence of crops along the roads can be attractive to many native species, and the absence of natural barriers facilitates access to the highways, increasing the risk of collision with vehicles. It is important that mitigating measures be implemented on the highways, in order to minimize the running over of wild fauna.