| Carlos Milburn-Rodriguez; Scales Nature Park; carlosmilb@gmail.com; Steve, M, Bega, Jeff Hathaway, Dean Swensson, Darell Moffat, Kari Gunson, Travis McCleary |
| Roads built through or near wetlands cause significant mortality of reptiles and amphibians and create barriers to migration and dispersal (Aresco 2005). Animal exclusion fencing that keeps animals off roads combined with wildlife crossing structures can reduce these impacts. Many types of exclusion structures exist. However, little research is known about what fencing types work best to exclude animals from roads. Therefore, the objective of this research was to evaluate the behavioral response of amphibians and reptiles to two types of commonly used fencing: mesh and Animex. A total of 14 turtles, 17 snakes, and 20 frogs were placed in an enclosure composed of two sides of 0.25-inch mesh fence and two sides of Animex. Each individual animal was continuously monitored, and its behavior, location, and interaction with the two fencing types were continuously recorded. The data were then analyzed to calculate (1) the percentage of time an animal spent within each fence zone, (2) the number of breaches and climbing attempts, and (3) the number of interactions (jumping, poking, clawing) with fencing.
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