The Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois has closed one of its roads to ensure the safety of snake species that cross it on their way to hibernate.
The Snake Road is about 2.5 miles long and located in the LaRue-Pine Hills Research Natural Area on the western edge of the forest. It'll be closed until Oct. 30, allowing dozens of snakes and other amphibians to cross the road from the area's swamps to its bluffs for hibernation.
Illinois Department of Natural Resources biologist Scott Ballard says the animals will "have to get down 2 or 3 feet to get below frost line so they don't freeze and die."
They've been feeding on wetlands and storing fat to help sustain them from November to March.
