Nestled in the Larue-Pine Hills Research Natural Area in southern Illinois there lies a rocky ribbon traversing the landscape called Snake Road. The LaRue-Pine Hills is an ecologically diverse part of the Shawnee National Forest that is home to at least fifty-six species of reptiles and amphibians. In the spring these herps emerge from their hibernacula in the hills and migrate toward the spring-fed swamps where they stay until the fall when it is time to move back to the cracks and burrows where they will overwinter. In the 1970s, the U.S. Forest Service began closing this road for three weeks out of the year to reduce wildlife casualties in this unique area.
This lesson is part of Certified Herpetological Guide. Enrollment is self-paced, with no deadline to finish (about 50 hours).
