# Road kill amphibians



## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

I know a lot of us have likely noted that a lot of amphibian populations can suffer due to becoming road kill (ever participated in helping the critter crossing events?) but now a study is out talking about exactly how bad it can be... Road Kill Stats Surprise Scientists

I think it's scarier to have numbers and not just guesses...


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## zachxbass (Apr 21, 2008)

pretty interesting, only 11 miles of road and over 10,000 animals.... crazy


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## bellerophon (Sep 18, 2006)

+1 for flying cars. get to it you kooky scientists. Great find Corey, I had no clue


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

I'm not sure many people did, and these likely weren't even areas known for high amphibian migration either.


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## jjt1 (Jan 27, 2007)

Underpasses for long toed salamanders have recently been approved near my home in Alberta, Canada. Apparently, thousands of them cross the highway each spring to reach their breeding ponds and on warm rainy evenings hundreds are killed.


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## Brock (Jun 29, 2007)

Wow!!

I remember when I was in Australia, up north there were thousands and thousands of frogs on the roads, though they were mostly Cane Toads, so I couldn't complain.

When I went herping, I'd find more frogs and lizards out on the roads than I would in the forests. I wonder if they were attracted to the heat, or the bugs that are easier to spot on the road than with all the obstacles of the forest floor.


Flying cars!


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

In australia... I would help the natives across the road. Then I'd collect the can toads and humanely get rid of them. Probably would should be done in Florida too, among other places... I hate to see what these guys have done.

You'll typically find the reptiles out on the roads for basking/warmth out in the open (I just caught a black rat on my driveway with that method, and it's a reliable way to catch reptiles in the country on an east-west road with low traffic). I suspect on nice rainy nights if they are out they are following the amphibians  Yummy frog legs...


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## earthfrog (May 18, 2008)

KeroKero said:


> You'll typically find the reptiles out on the roads for basking/warmth out in the open (I just caught a black rat on my driveway with that method, and it's a reliable way to catch reptiles in the country on an east-west road with low traffic). I suspect on nice rainy nights if they are out they are following the amphibians  Yummy frog legs...


What did you do with the rat?


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## Android1313 (Dec 15, 2006)

Thats alot of dead animals  
I like the idea of the eco-passages, especially on areas of water divided by roadway.


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## dom (Sep 23, 2007)

Brock said:


> Wow!!
> 
> I remember when I was in Australia, up north there were thousands and thousands of frogs on the roads, though they were mostly Cane Toads, so I couldn't complain.
> 
> ...



alot of bugs are attracted to the gases from vehicles so the frogs get attracted to the bugs, and unfortunalty out tires get attracted to the frogs all the more reason to ride bikes!!


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## thedude (Nov 28, 2007)

wow thats a lot of animals. i know in the spring here when i drive down my driveway(live in the woods basically) i have to drive real slow to avoid the pacific treefrogs and long toed salamanders. but i had no idea it was that bad. glad ive never hit anything.



KeroKero said:


> In australia... I would help the natives across the road. Then I'd collect the can toads and humanely get rid of them. Probably would should be done in Florida too, among other places... I hate to see what these guys have done.


exactly. i do that with the bullfrogs in the pond by my woods...little bastards sit and wait for the other amphibians to crawl out of the water. its actually quite a few species too, such as pacific treefrogs, red legged frogs, long toed salamanders, northwestern salamanders and pacific giant salamanders. not all in the same ponds,streams of course. its amazing how many adult bullfrogs you can get when you blind them with a powerful flashlight :wink:


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## melissa68 (Feb 16, 2004)

KeroKero said:


> In australia... I would help the natives across the road. Then I'd collect the can toads and humanely get rid of them. Probably would should be done in Florida too, among other places... I hate to see what these guys have done.
> 
> You'll typically find the reptiles out on the roads for basking/warmth out in the open (I just caught a black rat on my driveway with that method, and it's a reliable way to catch reptiles in the country on an east-west road with low traffic). I suspect on nice rainy nights if they are out they are following the amphibians  Yummy frog legs...


That is cool you found a black rat. How big was he? The sun brings them out. If the neighbors find any snakes hiding in stuff they come and get me. I love releasing them in my yard.

Even though they were cane toads...didn't you feel a little guilty?


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## *GREASER* (Apr 11, 2004)

Here are some pics from an underpass that was made for amphibians just 1/2 from my house. This is located in an area wih extremly high densities of both reptile and amphibian species. The development of this pass lowered road deaths to practically zero.


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## james67 (Jun 28, 2008)

i can see the # bieng that high, easily. in gulfcoast central fla. there are times where if you dont want to run over some frogs then you stay at home. there is no way to avoid it. literally thousands seem to scatter the roads which cut between hundreds of small lakes and springs. and there is likely no chance of the underpass method in these areas without raising the roads at costs most wouldnt be willing to throw at such a cause.


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