Every spring, as the weather warms up and the flowers begin to bloom, the snake species of southern Illinois begin to stir from hibernation deep in the limestone bluffs. They peek their heads out of crevices, slowly gaining more energy and courage to move toward swampy land for the rest of the summer, where they will feed, mate and store fat before the next hibernation.
Come fall, the snakes do it all over again, moving from the swamps back to the bluffs as temperatures continue to decline.
Forest Service Road 345, located in the LaRue-Pine Hills area of the Shawnee National Forest in Union County, Illinois, closes to vehicles biannually to protect the snakes that migrate across it every spring and fall.
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Dubbed Snake Road, it is home to 22 snake species that move between the bluffs and swamps that line either side of the road. The closure attracts tourists and snake hobbyists from across the country to witness this biannual movement of diverse snake species.
Zoologist John Palis is one such visitor who has had a lifelong interest in herpetology, and often makes trips to Snake Road to hike its full 2.5 miles and observe the migration.
As an SIU alum who graduated in 1979, Palis has always been fascinated by amphibians and reptiles.
“Oh, they’re beautiful. Amphibians are probably my first love,” he said. “But I really do like snakes a lot, too. Though I can’t explain why.”
Palis saunters down the road, keeping an eye on the surrounding environment for camouflaged snakes. He even ventures off the beaten path and up to the bluffs, shining a light into crevices to reveal piles of snakes still waiting to move.
He takes note of every snake he spots, writing down its species, size and approximate age. Palis shares his data with U.S. Forest Service employee Mycah Scoggins.
Scoggins is one of the only two wildlife biologists who overlook the Shawnee National Forest. She is also one of the leaders of the Snake Road sentinel workshops, where she trains volunteers on snake identification and how to collect data at Snake Road.
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Held twice a year, the Snake Road sentinel program is in partnership with University of Illinois Extension, and offers in-person and online training for volunteers. Alyssa Macuiba, wilderness technician and volunteer coordinator, and Anne Townsend, the program coordinator for U of I Extension, work together with Scoggins to lead the workshops.
“I love teaching and educating. (Volunteer) training is one of my favorite parts of the year,” Scoggins said.
When visiting Snake Road, volunteers are taught to record how many visitors they see and the amount of snakes they spot, including the species, amount, age, size and if it’s injured or has a disease.
The U.S. Forest Service is using the data to develop a long-term data set that shows statistical evidence of the snakes and pinpoints the exact dates that they start moving across the road.
Among the countless tourists who visit the road each year, Snake Road sentinel volunteers are out there monitoring the road and reporting their data back to the forest service.
Scoggins asks the volunteers to travel by foot only, and to not harass the snakes or flip over any logs and rocks. According to the U.S. Forest Service, the handling or collection of snakes is not allowed and is prohibited by law. A more in-depth list of rules is available on the Forest Service’s website.
The road is currently closed to vehicles until May 15, and will close again in the fall from Sept. 1 to Oct. 30.
Staff Photographer Olivia Luesing can be reached at [email protected]
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