Much More than Snakes: The Unexpected Beauty and Unique Ecology of Snake Road

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In this episode, I talk with wildlife biologist Mark Vukovich about the unique area known as Snake Road. Located about 40 miles south of Chester, Illinois, Snake Road passes through the LaRue-Pine Hills and Otter Pond Research Natural Areas. It’s an area full of surprises any time of year, but it’s best known for a few weeks in spring and fall when snakes move between the bluffs and nearby wetlands and the paved road is closed to protect them. In this episode, Mark talks about this unique ecological area and the 22 species of snakes that make it home. He offers tips for when to visit and how to be a respectful visitor and describes a citizen scientist project that he started. Mark also has responsibilities for forest management in the area, so we talk about the forests of that area, past and present, and the birds they attract. He offers a few thoughts to help identify migrating birds in the fall, when they may look and sound different from other times of year.