Assessing Road Mortality of Bufo bufo in Uzungöl Special Environmental Protection Area, Türkiye: Implications for Conservation

The worldwide decline of amphibian populations was first reported more than half a century ago. Today, almost half of amphibian populations continue to decline. The causes of this decrease (development, agriculture, industrialization, pollution, climate change, etc.) are largely anthropogenic. One of these anthropogenic impacts is road mortality. This study focuses on Bufo bufo (Common toad) within the Uzungöl Special Environmental Protection Area (SEPA) in Türkiye, where increasing tourism and vehicle activity pose threats to amphibian populations. The genus Bufo comprises four species in the western Palearctic region, each with distinct distributions. Field surveys carried out during the breeding season of the Common toads showed a significant proportion of road mortalities (68.83%), predominantly affecting the males fourfold higher than females. Analysis indicated no significant relation between mortality rate and observed vehicle numbers (P > 0.05), but did identify a significant interaction among sex, orientation, and mortality (P < 0.05 for all parameters). The study highlights the susceptibility of Common toads to road mortality, especially during breeding migrations, and recommends implementing warning signs, road passages/tunnels and regulating traffic during mating seasons to reduce the mortality. This research contributes valuable insights into the conservation of Common toad populations in the face of growing anthropogenic activity in sensitive habitats like Uzungöl SEPA.