In recent decades in North America, the number of roads has been steadily increasing. This deployment is not without consequences. The roads are now considered as a major source of disturbance for wildlife. In addition to decreasing the quantity and quality of habitat, they often create a barrier to wildlife movements. The most observable effect is the daily wildlife mortality, or roadkills, associated with attempts to cross the road.
To reduce the harmful effects of roads on wildlife populations, several types of mitigation measures have been implemented in many countries such as wildlife passages and exclusion fencing. However, in most cases, these measures are put in place for large animals such as ungulates and large carnivores, because they represent a potentially deadly danger to motorists. So far, very few mitigation measures have been designed and implemented to specifically protect small and medium-sized mammals.