Visiting the mecca of snake watching Twice a year, spring and fall, numerous species of reptiles and amphibians migrate between the LaRue–Pine Hills’ towering limestone bluffs and the Big Muddy River’s swampy floodplain in southern Illinois. Snakes, especially great numbers of Cottonmouths, give the road that separates these distinct environments its name. Although it is one of the best places in the world to observe snakes throughout the year, spring and fall are the optimal times to see a greater number and variety. Among the many activities that snakes can be observed doing are sunning themselves on rocks, lying in grasses, sheltering under or near fallen tree limbs, or crossing the road. In this engaging guide, author Joshua J. Vossler details what to expect and how to make the most of a visit to what is known around the world as Snake Road. Vossler catalogs twenty-three native snake species by both common and scientific names, lists identifying features, and estimates the probability of spotting them. Throughout this book, stunning color photographs of each species’ distinctive physical characteristics enable identification by sight only, an important feature, since Illinois law prohibits the handling, harming, or removal of reptiles and other wildlife on and around the road. Since snakes are visually variable—individual snakes of the same species can differ tremendously in size, color, and pattern—photographs of as many variations as possible are included. To aid in identification, eleven sets of photographs contrast the features of similar species and point out how and why these snakes may be easily confused. Visitors can keep track of the snakes they have identified by using the checklist in the back of the book. A list of recommended reading provides sources of additional information about snakes in southern Illinois and beyond.   "I absolutely love how this field guide is organized. . . . What Vossler came up with is not only unique, but extremely user friendly for a novice herpetologist."— Dustin Siegel ,  Herpetological Review "Profusely illustrated, impressively informative, exceptionally 'user friendly' in organization and presentation, Snake Road: A Field Guide to the Snakes of LaRue-Pine Hills is an ideal and unreservedly recommended DIY identification guide—and a critically important selection for personal, professional, community, college, and university library herpetology collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists."— James A. Cox , Midwest Book Review “Joshua J. Vossler’s book of photos allows us to travel Illinois’s famous Snake Road through the La Rue Swamp without worrying about mosquitoes, ticks, poison ivy, biting flies—or snakes. Slither and let slither!”— Herbert K. Russell , author, The State of Southern Illinois   “The LaRue–Pine Hills area is one of our favorite 'day trip' spots, and we unreservedly recommend that visitors take Vossler's book along to enhance this unique experience. Go and enjoy a ‘snaky’ day!”— Larry P. and Donna J. Mahan , authors, 20 Day Trips in and around the Shawnee National Forest   Joshua J. Vossler, an associate professor and academic librarian at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, is the coauthor of Humor and Information Literacy: Practical Techniques for Library Instruction. He specializes in making instructional videos about research skills . He is a lifelong snake watcher and herpetological enthusiast.   Preface To me, there has never been a clear line between spending time outside and looking for snakes. Some people go bird watching. Others seek out wildflowers or scenic views. But my favorite activity is snake watching. As a boy I always felt an affinity for snakes. Where I grew up good snake habitat was hard to find, however, and my opportunity to observe these interesting reptiles in the wild was limited to the occasional Common Gartersnake or Smooth Greensnake glimpsed in a state park or wooded fishing pond. So, while my interest in snakes never went away, there just wasn’t much opportunity for it to flourish. I was just a wannabe snake watcher, limited to browsing field guides and hoping for a rare sighting to leap, or maybe to slither, off the page. Then, in 2014, I received an offer to accept a position in Morris Library at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The job sounded exciting, but I had a hard time working up any enthusiasm for the location. I wrongly imagined southern Illinois as a windswept cornfield, devoid of wildlife habitat. My mother soon grew tired of my grousing and started researching the area. We discovered to our surprise that southern Illinois offered a wide variety of outdoor nature activities. My hopes rose. Some of the farthest north cypress swamps were being restored, and the high annual rainfall and mild winter temperatures made for a diverse flora and fauna. The rocky bluffs were like miniature mountain ranges, and they could be explored without dealing with the t