Millions of animals are killed on roads annually due to collisions with vehicles, particularly medium–large mammals. Studies on mammal road-kill flourished in Brazil in the last decade and an assessment of research on road-kill impacts at a country level will help define science-based conservation strategies. In this study, we used the compiled scientific literature to provide the state of knowledge on medium and large-sized mammals killed by road traffic in Brazil, their conservation status, and an approximation of the road-kill magnitude. We reviewed a total of 62 scientific papers that reported road-kill data accounting for 11.817 individuals. Of the 102 species of medium–large mammals found in the IUCN list, more than half (n = 62; 61%) were recorded as road-kill on Brazilian roads. The Carnivora order comprises over a quarter (n = 23; 37%) of the total road-killed species. A total of 9 species (14.5%) were classified as threatened, with a further 10 (16%) as Near Threatened. Over half of the road-killed species (n = 33, 53%) showed declining population trends according to their IUCN conservation status. Our extrapolation of the results for the entire Brazilian paved road network showed that the number of medium–large road-killed mammals can reach almost 9 million yearly (maximum 8.7 million; mean 1.3 million), representing a biomass of more than 10000 tons. The highest roadkill rates were recorded for common generalists and least concern species, although there were also threatened and near threatened species within the top 15 highest road-kill rates. The declining population trends found for most species reflect serious conservation concerns, since there is a lack of information on the mortality effects at population levels. Our results suggest that medium–large mammals are severally affected by road mortality in Brazil. More investigations are needed at local and abundance population levels, in a way that allows the inclusion of road network as an important threat for target species impacted by road-kill in the national territory, in order to develop adequate plans to mitigate those impacts.

Roads pose an imminent threat to wildlife directly through mortality and changes in individual behavior, and also indirectly through modification of the amount and configuration of wildlife habitat. However, few studies have addressed how these mechanisms interact to determine species response to roads. We used structural equation modeling to assess direct and indirect effects (via landscape modification) of roads on space use by jaguars in Brazil, using radio-tracking data available from the literature. We fit path models that directly link jaguars’ space use to roads and to land cover, and indirectly link jaguars’ space use to roads through the same land cover categories. Our findings show that space use by jaguars was not directly affected by roads, but indirect effects occurred through reductions in natural areas on which jaguars depend, and through urban sprawl. Males´ space use, however, was not negatively influenced by urban areas. Since jaguars seem to ignore roads, mitigation should be directed to road fencing and promoting safe crossings. We argue that planners and managers need to much more seriously take into account the deforestation and the unbridled urban expansion from roads to ensure jaguar conservation in Brazil.

O atropelamento de fauna silvestre em estradas é responsável pela perda direta de milhões de indivíduos anualmente no Brasil, sendo importante acessar, compreender e mitigar seus impactos. Apresentamos um diagnóstico sobre o atropelamento de mamíferos na bacia hidrográfica do alto Paraguai (BAP), com o objetivo de acessar o atual estado de conhecimento, identificar lacunas e propor medidas de conservação e mitigação. Os dados foram coletados através de uma revisão sistemática da literatura científica, posteriormente caracterizados de acordo com tipo de estudo, localidade na BAP, riqueza e status de conservação de espécies e taxas de atropelamento. Identificamos 15 estudos que realizaram monitoramentos sistemáticos de atropelamento, a maioria em estradas do Mato Grosso do Sul. Entre eles, 93% dos monitoramentos foram realizados por carro, com uma duração média de 14 meses. Compilamos 5.241 indivíduos atropelados, distribuídos em dez ordens e 47 espécies, sendo a ordem Carnivora a mais representativa. Doze espécies apresentaram o status de ameaçada de extinção em nível nacional; destas, o tamanduá-bandeira (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) possui as maiores médias de taxas de atropelamento. Nosso diagnóstico se mostrou importante para identificar espécies vulneráveis aos efeitos dos atropelamentos, nortear novas pesquisas e auxiliar nas estratégias em políticas públicas e mitigação de impactos.