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Rapid degradation of animal carcasses on roads is one of the main sources of inaccuracy when estimating the effect of road transportation on animal populations. This paper aims to quantify the effect of traffic volume on the rate of bird carcass degradation. Carcasses were placed on three 1 km long road sections with different traffic volume, and the rate of degradation was observed 2, 4, 6, 9, 24 and 48 hours after the placement. Results show high speed of degradation with 68% of carcasses being demolished beyond recognition during 2 hours after being placed on the road. Only 5% of the carcasses allowed species identification 9 hours after being placed on the road. The effect of traffic volume on the rate of degradation was not confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several remarkable observations of the hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) are reported from South Bohemia. The records, which come from the period 1998-2018, are put into the context of known species ecology. Thus a specimen killed by traffic on a forest road and three individuals captured by a domestic cat were documented. No false tail autotomy was recorded in the latter case. The cat caught one of the dormice in December, i.e. obviously during awakening from hibernation. Long-term occurrence of hazel dormice at high seats is evidenced as well. Twelve communally hibernating dormice were discovered in a large nestbox on 19th January 2007. The nestbox was made from a rotten cherry tree trunk and was filled with plenty of moss and leaves. Regarding the species dietary habits, feeding on apricot kernels was observed (the animal has to bite through the stone to reach the seed). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]