Snake Road, Illinois Trip 2 (lots of pics)

shaggybill · 04-18-04, 01:24 AM

This is going to be a long post with alot of pics, so my apologies to all you dial-up users.

I went down to Snake Rd again Friday and stayed until Saturday evening.

This trip I found:

16 Cottonmouths
2 Timber Rattlers
2 Yellowbelly Water Snakes
4 Black Rat Snakes
3 Black Racers (two of which were eating)
5 Ribbon Snakes
1 Hognose
1 Mud Snake
1 Garter

Heres the pictures

First, a scenery shot. I dont know how it looks in the fall, but Snake Rd. in the spring is a beautiful place.
<img src="http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-11/507948/road.jpg" width=600 height=450>
 
First snake of the trip was this Racer.
<img src="http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-11/507948/Racer_1.jpg" width=543 height=403>
 
Next was this cottonmouth. I almost stepped on this guy walking through the leaves. I just happened to look down, and there he was. Scared the crappola out of me...
<img src="http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-11/507948/cotton_1.jpg" width=600 height=450>
 
I walked along part of the trail with a botanist, and we happened upon this fella getting ready to cross the road.
<img src="http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-11/507948/ratsnake1.jpg" width=600 height=340>
 
Heres another cotton I found. I like how clean he looks.
<img src="http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-11/507948/cotton_2.jpg" width=600 height=450>
<img src="http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-11/507948/cottonsmouth.jpg" width=600 height=450>
 
I had just rounded a corner up by the bluffs when I saw this rattler
<img src="http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-11/507948/timber.jpg" width=600 height=450>
 
After a few pictures, it started rattling and crawled back into its den. Not 5 minutes later I found another Timber, but he was too far back in the rocks for a good picture.
 
How many neonate cottons do you see in the pic?
<img src="http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-11/507948/cottonroad.jpg" width=600 height=450>
 
If you guessed 3, you were right.
<img src="http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-11/507948/neocottons.jpg" width=600 height=450>
 
Heres a hognose I found near the water.
<img src="http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-11/507948/hognose2.jpg" width=600 height=406>
<img src="http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-11/507948/hognose1.jpg" width=600 height=450>
 
This garter left my hand smellin awful. Someday I'll learn to just leave them alone...
<img src="http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-11/507948/garter.jpg" width=600 height=450>
 
Mud Snake
<img src="http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-11/507948/mudsnake.jpg" width=600 height=450>
 
This little rat snake was found about 5 feet from that rattlesnake above.
<img src="http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-11/507948/babyrat.jpg" width=600 height=450>
 
I found this rather large cotton coming down from high on a hill. Near the top, actually.
<img src="http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-11/507948/bigcotton.jpg" width=600 height=450>
 
I have a quick story to tell. I was near my car when I heard a rustling in the leaves up the hill. I went partially up and I saw a racer had just caught a mouse near the top of this hill, and the mouse was desparately trying to get away. He did, and both mouse and racer came barrelling down the hill towards me in a zig-zag pattern. I just stood there watching this unfold. Anyways, the mouse ran straight towards me and climbed up my pants about to my knee. The racer, obviously oblivious to me, jumped up and grabbed the mouse off of my leg, fought some more with it, and then ate it 15 inches from my feet. I didnt move a muscle the whole time. What an experience! Look at these pics.
<img src="http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-11/507948/racereating1.jpg" width=600 height=450>
<img src="http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-11/507948/racereating2.jpg" width=600 height=450>
<img src="http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-11/507948/racereating3.jpg" width=600 height=450>
 
I found this guy playing in the creek.
<img src="http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-11/507948/cottoninwater.jpg" width=600 height=450>
 
 
Anyways, thats the gist of my trip. I hope I can make one more down before the seasons over.