Cars kill more animals in protected areas Other studies have
linked roadkill numbers to factors such as climate or the
animal’s activity. For example, amphibians often get squashed on
their way to breeding ponds during the rainy season. A team of
European scientists wondered if the protection status of the
area also made a difference. After all, people often visit
wildlife refuges, and with more people comes more traffic. The
researchers surveyed 4,920 kilometers of roads in 41 counties
across Catalonia, Spain. The team performed the surveys in
spring and autumn 2002, scanning for animal carcasses from a
slow-moving car. Next, the researchers tried to determine if
roadkill numbers were linked to the climate, season, or
protection status of the area. The team recorded 2,013 dead
animals on the roads, more than half of which were amphibians.
Mammals, birds, and reptiles were also found. While the climate
did not seem to affect the number of roadkills, the protection
status did. The higher the level of protectio