Behavior and mortality of anurans on roads in the Australian tropics

Abstract Roads are a major source of mortality for wildlife, particularly amphibians. Identifying vulnerable species and understanding any behavioral predictors of mortality helps us understand vulnerability to traffic and can inform management strategies. If anurans use roads to facilitate movement, thermoregulate, or feed, then standard mitigation methods may not be effective. We investigated a 9‐species anuran community in tropical Australia with respect to behavioral responses on roads including proportion of time spent on roads, distances and direction moved along roads, and whether feeding was occurring on roads. We also noted if focal individuals were killed during observations, with the aim of assessing any link between mortality and on‐road behavior or anuran size. We found no differences among species regarding behavior on roads, no evidence to suggest they use the road as a movement corridor, and no difference in road mortality among species. Our results indicate this anuran community is equally vulnerable to mortality via road traffic, indicating that actions to reduce mortality such as underpasses, signage, and speed restrictions in hotspots will benefit the entire community and thus have high cost‐effectiveness.