Michigan Herps

 There is no more well known herping locale in the midwest than the Snake Road in southern Illinois. Serving as floodplain for the Mississippi River, the LaRue Swamp covers some 3 square miles which makes it an ideal home for a mass of amphibians and reptiles. The Snake Road, which runs between the swamp and the limestone bluffs which are a mear fifty yards from the swamp, serves as a highway for snakes and other such herps during their migrations in the spring and fall. In early October, I made the trip to meet members of the Midwest Chapter on Field Herp Forum (FHF) for our first official meeting. The alarm clock went off at 4:15 AM on October the 4th, and I was on my way.

View of the Limestone Bluffs from the Levy Road. Photo by Nick Scobel

Some eight hours later, I finally arrived at my destination around one in the afternoon and set up camp. I knew most of the FHFers wouldn't arrive til later that night, but I planned it that way. I wanted to get out on the Road and do some herping for myself, just to see if anything was moving.

The weather was irregularly warm to say the least, and the humidity was through the roof. It must have been in the high 80s, but I was still hoping some herps would be out on the move. Within five minutes of walking the famous Snake Road, I got my answer.

An adult Western Cottonmouth fresh out of the LaRue Swamp.

Western Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma)

This Cottonmouth was a good sign that this weekend was going to be good. I spent a few minutes with her, after only seeing one in April, I figured they would be tough to come by. I couldn't have been more wrong, within another few steps, I heard rustling in the leaves alongside of the road and spotted this.

 I decided that moving along the bluff faces was a good idea, since I had seen two Cottonmouths heading in that direction. I stumbled across a total of 17 cottonmouths in a matter of an hour. Some neonates, some adults, some dens. They were absolutely everywhere.

A den of small juvenile Cottonmouths.

A nice adult Western Cottonmouth heading up the bluffs.

After seeing all Cottonmouths, I was happy to find a little variety when I spotted this snake in a crevice. At first I thought it was just another Cotton, but upon closer inspection I found that it was a type of water snake. Mississippi Green Water Snakes are always a cool find at Shawnee.

Mississippi Green Water Snake (Nerodia cyclopion)

I also spotted a Copper-bellied Water Snake (Nerodia ethyrogaster neglecta) and a Southern Black Racer (Coluber constrictor) while walking the road. It was getting really hot, so I decided to turn and head back to the car. I decided to check one bluff area which was near the swamp, just in case any more Cottonmouths had made their way up to the bluffs. I walked over a small ridge and was shocked to see this monster Cottonmouth.

A very large Western Cottonmouth, this specimen was probably four feet in length. 

This was the largest Cottonmouth I had ever seen, and she had a very fiery attitude. I spent a few minutes with her and then headed out. The first afternoon was very successful, and I was looking forward to meeting some comrades the next day, if I only knew things would get even better.

Species Observed:

• Western Cottonmouth                                  
• Mississippi Green Water Snake           
• Copper-bellied Water Snake                      
• Southern Black Racer                                  
• Ground Skink                                               
• Southern Leopard Frog                               
• Dwarf American Toad                                
• Cave Salamander                                    
• Longtail Salamander    

A dark colored Moccasin from LaRue

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