Roads significantly impact natural landscapes, posing threats to wildlife, particularly amphibians and reptiles. Among these, snakes are often overlooked, despite their vulnerability to vehicular collisions. This study investigates the road mortality patterns for the Caspian whip snake (Dolichophis caspius), an animal frequently killed by road traffic in Eastern Europe, including Romania. A database of 270 road-killed Caspian whip snakes, mostly adults, was compiled, showing road-kills were predominantly found on national and county roads. Our findings confirm the existence of “hot moments” when road-kills are more likely. The ensemble model emphasized high-risk road sections, with road density, terrain ruggedness and habitat configuration being the most important predictors. Such information can optimize management costs and guide targeted conservation efforts, holding implications for snake populations in Eastern Europe.

道路严重影响自然景观，对野生动物，特别是两栖动物和爬行动物构成威胁。其中，蛇经常被忽视，尽管它们很容易受到车辆碰撞。这项研究调查了里海鞭蛇（Dolichophis caspius）的道路死亡率模式，这种动物经常在东欧（包括罗马尼亚）因道路交通而死亡。编制了包含 270 条被道路杀死的里海鞭蛇（大部分是成年）的数据库，显示被道路杀死的里海鞭蛇主要发生在国道和县道上。我们的研究结果证实了“热点时刻”的存在，此时道路死亡的可能性更大。整体模型强调高风险路段，其中道路密度、地形崎岖程度和栖息地配置是最重要的预测因素。此类信息可以优化管理成本并指导有针对性的保护工作，对东欧的蛇种群产生影响。