HARRISBURG, Ill. (AP) - Snakes and amphibians will have the right away for a while on Shawnee National Forest’s Snake Road.
The (Carbondale) Southern Illinoisan reports that beginning on Saturday, officials are closing the roadway in Southern Illinois to allow the animals to migrate from LaRue Swamp to the nearby limestone bluffs.
Some of the snakes and amphibians are considered threatened and endangered in Illinois and the United States and closing the 2.5-mile-long road until Oct. 30 helps ensure that they can cross safely.
Though vehicles won’t be allowed onto the road, it will remain open to people traveling on foot. But visitors are advised that collecting and handling the animals is prohibited under federal and state law.
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