HIGHWAY MORTALITY OF VERTEBRATE SPECIES IN THE ARAVALLI MOUNTAIN RANGE OF NORTH GUJARAT, INDIA

Nikunj B Gajera; Priyanshu Joshi; Nishith Dharaiya

Volume : VII, Issue : X, October - 2018

HIGHWAY MORTALITY OF VERTEBRATE SPECIES IN THE ARAVALLI MOUNTAIN RANGE OF NORTH GUJARAT, INDIA

Nikunj B Gajera, Priyanshu Joshi, Nishith Dharaiya

Abstract :

Vehicle induced mortality also known as a road kill of wild animals is well known in many developing countries including India but very few empirical studies describe the extent of this mortality on wildlife population. For our study, road kill was monitored in three major roads of North Gujarat between May 2005 (monsoon) to October 2006 (winter) and a total of 89 road kills were recorded. Mammals were the most effected taxa (58.42%) followed by reptiles (30.33%) and birds (11.23%). The time of observation was also noted which indicated the intensity of kill of the animal species during different times of the day. Conservation and management implications are essential to prevent the rapid loss of animal population due to road kills.

Road–kill surveys such as this are needed to identify species for which road mortality is unsustainable, to determine the influence on threatened species, and to identify important spots of roads that are important to have speed limits for the protection of the resident faunal species.