Wildlife and Roads

In 2010 and 2011, Daniel Gilmore and Sally Koehler from our Melbourne office undertook an intensive mark-recapture study of a Growling Grass Frog Litoria raniformis population at the Aurora residential development in Epping North, Victoria. Through this study they were able to document for the first time the use of road culverts by this species. This has important implications for its management in urbanising landscapes, where habitat fragmentation from roads is a pressing problem.  Daniel and Sally presented the paper resulting from their study, which is published in Herpetological Review, at the inaugural conference of the Australasian Network for Ecology and Transportation (ANET) held in Coffs Harbour in July 2014.  The paper was very well received by the industry, government and research professionals that attended the conference from Australasia and across the globe.

Daniel and Sally have a wealth of experience in the field of road ecology and through their work have made significant contributions to wildlife-friendly road designs in Victoria.  In addition to the example at Epping North, their ideas have been used widely on projects such as the Mornington Peninsula Freeway, Koo Wee Rup Bypass (underpasses for the threatened Southern Brown Bandicoot and other wildlife) and Cairnlea Estate in Deer Park (terrestrial underpass for the Striped Legless Lizard and Growling Grass Frog).

For more information or advice on wildlife management on roads or other infrastructure, please contact Daniel on 0428 108 379 or email proposals@biosis.com.au.