Roadkill Rankings In Central Texas: The Unluckiest Animals On Central Texas Roads

When it comes to animal-vehicle collisions, Texas consistently ranks among the top states in the nation. Texas’ large network of rural roads cutting through varying types of terrain means eventually, something is going to end up crossing the road at the wrong time.

Street Safari

I have a very early morning commute, and the thing that keeps me alert on my drive is keeping an eye out for wildlife crossing the road. I’ve seen a lot of animals and have only been “hit” by one. Yes, it ran into my car, and it is number one on the large wildlife list.

 Large Wildlife: White-Tailed Deer

According to data from Texas A&M’s Roadkills of Texas Project, by a wide margin, white-tailed deer are the most frequently hit large animals in Texas. Because of their size, these crashes cause the most severe vehicle damage and injuries to drivers. I can speak to this! I was driving near my house one afternoon and a deer came out of a pasture and onto the hood of my car. Insane.Deer collisions spike drastically during the fall due to the autumn breeding season ("the rut").

The Small Mammal "Big Three"

When looking at sheer numbers of roadside casualties (roadkill logs), smaller nocturnal mammals are hit in massive quantities.

Nine-Banded Armadillo

Famous as an unofficial symbol of Texas roadkill. Armadillos have terrible eyesight and a defense mechanism that works against them on the road: when startled, they jump straight up into the air, which often causes them to hit a car's bumper or undercarriage rather than letting the car safely pass over them.

Raccoon

Raccoons are very intelligent, highly adaptable and frequently active near suburban and rural roadsides searching for food. They are often hit by cars and trucks because they do not run directly across the road. They tend to dart back and forth.

Virginia Opossum & Striped Skunk

Both are slow-moving scavengers that are drawn to roadways to eat insects or other roadkill, making them frequent victims themselves.Opossums rarely live longer than a year.

Feral Hogs

Feral hogs travel in large family groups called "sounders" and are low to the ground, solid, and dark. Hitting a 200-pound wild hog at 70 mph can easily total a vehicle, and because they move in packs, drivers who miss the first hog often hit the second or third one right behind it. I have witnessed this firsthand. On my drive home from work a few months ago, around 11am, I came over a hill to find this exact scenario. Luckily for me, I saw the hogs in time and had time to slow down.

Reptiles and Birds

Citizen science mapping from the Texas Landscape Project notes that when looking at all reported road mortality, reptiles actually make up about half of the total count, followed by mammals (35%) and birds (9%).

Reptiles/Turtles

Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnakes/Copperheads/Rat Snakes and various turtles are frequently hit as they crawl onto the asphalt to soak up residual heat or to travel to another pond. Male turtles are hit more often as they move from pond to pond to find a mate.

Birds

For birds, owls and hawks are frequently struck at night or early morning when swooping down to catch mice on the grassy shoulders of highways.

A Unique Texas Risk: Livestock

The saying “Good fences make good neighbors” also applies to livestock. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve called 911 to report cows that have gotten out of a pasture. This is more common after a lot of rain. Cows push against fences in an attempt to get to the tall grass on the other side and in doing so, push down posts that are surrounded by mud. Every so often, an unlucky driver makes contact with one of these cows.

Who Is Missing From the List?

The animals listed above are not the only victims of Texas drivers. Coyotes, rabbits, beavers, mountain lions, foxes, and road runners also call Central Texas home...but they do a better job of avoiding "the humans".