UNION COUNTY, Ill. – The U.S. Forest Service has closed a small gravel road in Shawnee National Forest to allow for the safe migration of reptiles and amphibians.
Every spring and fall, tens of thousands of snakes and other small animals cross a small stretch of gravel road between a series of limestone bluffs and LaRue Swamp.
According to the Forest Service, about 66% of the amphibians and 59% of the reptiles in Illinois can be found in this area.
The Forest Service usually closes Snake Road for the spring migration from March 15 to May 15.
The animals will move from their hibernation spots in the bluffs to the swamp. Due to the warmer weather and increase in reptile and amphibian activity, the road was closed on March 5.
The road is again closed from September 1 to October 30 in the fall as the animals retreat back into the bluffs for the winter.
While the road is closed to vehicles, people are allowed to travel on foot. The land is a federally-protected research area, so collecting, handling, or interfering with the animals is prohibited.
The following species can be found migrating along Snake Road: