A preliminary report of reptilian mortality on road due to vehicular movements near Kaziranga National Park, Assam, India

Abstract

We report road mortality of reptiles on a highway segment passing along the southern boundary of Kaziranga National Park, Assam, India. A total of 68 instances of road kills of reptiles belonging to 21 species and seven families were recorded. There was a greater mortality among snakes compared to lizards. The arboreal reptiles were the most affected, the highest percent being those that were diurnal followed by the nocturnal, crepuscular and both day and night active species. Possible explanations of such differences in mortality among reptile groups are discussed. It is feared that such kind of persistent loss can be detrimental to the local reptilian population. © ZOO; 2007.