Using bobcat (Lynx rufus) movement patterns to inform strategies for road mitigation
O_LIEven for wildlife species that often persist in urban and suburban areas, vehicle collisions remain a common source of mortality, and roads can fragment and degrade habitat. Quantifying animal behavior near roads can help wildlife managers develop management strategies to reduce mortality from vehicles while maintaining connectivity. C_LIO_LITo determine how roads affect movement of bobcats (Lynx rufus)--a common mesopredator in urban and suburban areas of North America--we analyzed GPS tracking data from bobcats using continuous-time movement analyses. Our study focused on three questions regarding bobcat movement near roads: (1) Are roads barriers to bobcat movement? (2) How often do bobcats use wildlife crossing structures to cross roads? (3) How does bobcat movement behavior change when bobcats are closer to roads? C_LIO_LIWe found that bobcats crossed roads 11% less frequently than expected from random chance, and this effect was largely driven by interstates and major local roads. We found little evidence that bobcats selectively used culverts or underpasses to cross roads, or that bobcat movement behavior (i.e., speed or home range size) varied with road density, although daily distance traveled increased with road density. C_LIO_LISynthesis and applications: Managers attempting to reduce bobcat mortality from vehicle collisions must do more than simply building wildlife crossing structures. Fences to funnel bobcats toward crossing structures, rumble strips to scare bobcats from roads, reduced speed limits, and wildlife warning signs for drivers may be more effective tools for reducing bobcat-vehicle collisions. This study also provides a rigorous framework for considering the implications of movement behavior for lack of connectivity and mortality as distinct but not mutually exclusive threats posed by roads for wildlife. C_LI