Roads do not increase carrion use by a vertebrate scavenging community

Area of Science:

• Wildlife Ecology
• Scavenger Behavior
• Road Ecology

Background:

• Wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs) generate significant carrion, a potentially vital resource for scavengers.
• The extent to which scavengers utilize WVC-generated carrion and the factors influencing this use remain understudied.
• Roads may serve as foraging areas or simply encounter sites for scavengers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate vertebrate scavenger utilization of carrion placed along roads, power line clearings, and in forest interiors.
• To compare scavenger arrival times and carcass consumption rates across these distinct linear and interior habitats.
• To determine if roads represent a unique or preferred carrion resource for scavengers.

Main Methods:

• Fifty-two rabbit carcasses were deployed in each of three habitat types: roads, power line clearings, and forest interiors.
• Motion-activated cameras were used to record scavenger presence and arrival times at carcasses.
• Data were collected during winter in South Carolina, USA, from December 2016 to March 2017.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were found in the proportion of carcasses scavenged or the timing of scavenger arrival among the three treatments.
• Turkey vultures (Cathartes aura) and coyotes (Canis latrans) exhibited similar scavenging patterns across all treatments.
• Gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) scavenged carcasses along roads and power lines but not in the forest interior.

Conclusions:

• Scavenger use of carrion near roads in this winter habitat appears influenced by factors other than simple carrion availability.
• The presence of roads and associated linear features may facilitate scavenging for certain species like gray foxes.
• Road-associated carrion can influence the foraging ecology and behavior of specific scavenger species.