"Snake Road" in*Southern Illinois

[whistlepig]

Not sure if this is where I'd post this, please let me know if not. Anyway, for those of you who live in and around Southern Illinois, there's a cool area between some bluffs and wetlands that has an annual migration of snakes and other reptiles and amphibians. It should start up soon, the story is below.

"Shawnee National Forest's Snake Road to close March 15 for annual reptile, amphibian migration" Shawnee National Forest's Snake Road to close March 15 for annual reptile, amphibian migration | Environment | thesouthern.com (http://thesouthern.com/news/local/environment/shawnee-national-forest-s-snake-road-to-close-march-for/article_929b7d3c-3acf-5bc4-a93e-68c8e447020c.html)

[GyGbeetle]

Not sure if this is where I'd post this, please let me know if not. Anyway, for those of you who live in and around Southern Illinois, there's a cool area between some bluffs and wetlands that has an annual migration of snakes and other reptiles and amphibians. It should start up soon, the story is below.

"Shawnee National Forest's Snake Road to close March 15 for annual reptile, amphibian migration" [url=http://thesouthern.com/news/local/environment/shawnee-national-forest-s-snake-road-to-close-march-for/article_929b7d3c-3acf-5bc4-a93e-68c8e447020c.html[/url]

aaaaaaaawwwwww!!!! That is so cool!!!!!! I wish I could watch something like that!

[Scubadiver59]

Yes...too cool! Get there and set up a time lapse camera system and let it run for a few days, with night vision for night transits, and see how many actually cross.

I'll bring the picnic basket!

[whistlepig]

Yes...too cool! Get there and set up a time lapse camera system and let it run for a few days, with night vision for night transits, and see how many actually cross.

That would be kinda cool especially if snake traffic is heavy. *I haven't actually been there during the spring migration, so I'm not sure how*heavy the snake traffic get's, but I have been there in the fall when the snakes are going the other direction, from the water to the bluffs. We saw three including a*rough green snake in about an hour. It's a really pretty place, regardless.

[akane]

There is a walking trail that was an old railroad line and we found snakes migrate from the nearby bog and fields to across the trail and the rocks around a creek. We are guessing they use the rock openings to get below the frost line.

[whistlepig]

That sounds very similar to the conditions that produce "snake road". I'm pretty sure the only reason they shut down the road is because some of Illinois species of concern use it and they are trying to protect those populations.

[SnoopySnake]

Really want to go here, not *too* far from me but enough that it'd have to be a vacation/special trip

[Tsubaki]

Very cool! :D Then to imagine that I have to drive and then look for hours to find a single snake..

[whistlepig]

I*only live 2.5*hours*away. Maybe I'll make a concerted effort to get there, take some pictures if there's anything to see and then everyone would know if it's worth it.

[whistlepig]

On a side*note, I wish I knew why my posts contain all of these asterisks, they are annoying.

[GyGbeetle]

On a side*note, I wish I knew why my posts contain all of these asterisks, they are annoying.

Hahaha! Just figured it was a conversion issue on whatever device you're typing.

My husband is from Chicago, and we plan on going back to visit his family at some point. I think I'll plan it around one of these migrations

[whistlepig]

haha. The archaic device known as a keyboard. The only way to not have asterisks is to use the advanced reply feature and preview and delete them until there aren't any left.

If you do visit Chicago with the intention to go to the snake migration, be prepared, it's about as far away from Chicago that you can get and still be in Illinois, probably ~400 miles.

[whistlepig]

I said I'd report back after having visited "snake road", and that visit happened yesterday. It wasn't too bad, but not great either. I may have been a bit early (I think they said most of the traffic happens around the end of April), or I might just be bad as finding snakes. I did talk to several of the people who were also looking around and we all saw pretty much the same species, so I at least feel like I didn't miss anything special. So I saw 5 snakes, 4 different species and 1 snapping turtle. Here they are in the order I saw them.

I think this is a rat snake, though I didn't get a great look at it.

http://i.imgur.com/cFJcFrs.jpg

A couple of cottonmouths.

http://i.imgur.com/FobW0pe.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/KTAWRx3.jpg

A little ribbon/garter snake. I couldn't get a good look because it was FAST!

http://i.imgur.com/aCHj20E.jpg

A periscopeing black racer.

http://i.imgur.com/BCuhaD2.jpg

Finally a snapping turtle that refused to give up its puddle in the road as we were leaving.

http://i.imgur.com/wlPaqCo.jpg

[GyGbeetle]

You look awfully close to those cottonmouths. Those are some pretty amazing pics.

[whistlepig]

Thanks. Lol. I was zoomed in, but I was able to get pretty close. They were more interested in going about their business than in me. There were quite a few people walking around. They're probably so used to it by now that they get together before and after the spring and complain about all the tourists.