Forest Service Road No. 345 in Union County is now closed through October so that dozens of species of snakes and amphibians can safely cross from LaRue Swamp and climb into the nearby limestone bluffs. The road is also closed every spring for the snakes' return trip to the swamp.
While the road is closed to vehicles, it is open to people on foot.
The snake migration attracts people from across the country to a single area where so many different species can be observed. About 57 percent of the amphibians and 56 percent of the reptiles known to occur in Illinois are found there.
Twenty-three species have been documented in the forest, the only spot in the U.S. with so many different snakes in such a small area. Three species are listed as threatened in the state of Illinois.
On the Net:
Shawnee Forest/Snake Road webpage
