Illinois Road Shut Down as Venomous Snakes Take Over

To quote Indiana Jones, why did it have to be snakes? A road in Illinois is shut down again due to thousands of venomous snakes taking over and, no, this isn't the first time by far.

There is one road in Illinois that's deep in the Shawnee Forest that is famous for these slithering creatures

The state of Illinois is now reminding everyone that Forest Service Road No. 345 is shut down again. As Outside Online mentions, that's because it's snake road - literally. They say that a staggering 60% of the snakes in Illinois call this area of the state home. Shivers. Illinois closes Forest Service Road No. 345 every Fall and Spring to allow between 30 and 35 snake species to migrate safely and, yes, many are venomous like rattlesnakes and cottonmouths. Even though this road in Illinois is shut down until the end of October now for vehicles and bikes, you can still visit it...if you dare.

While these snakes have a bad reputation for having a dangerous bite, most are not aggressive and will leave you alone unless you tread on their territory. I've seen some aggressive cottonmouth snakes over the years, but a vast majority will just slither off to get away from humans. That being said, you don't want to step until brush where you can't see where your foot lands and lifting big rocks is a very bad idea. Admire the snakes if you must, but leave them to their migration and let nature be nature - from a safe distance, of course.