Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have been to the area on both the Illinois and Indiana sides a bunch of times during which I have walked for hours in search of snakes.

I have yet to find a bullsnake, I have found perfect areas with tin and boards but nothing seems to ever be under them except tons of mice. I would really like to photograph a bullsnake but frankly I'm starting to doubt their existence there.

My concerns are as follows:

People are negatively impacting wild populations due to collection and illegall collection in the areas conservation areas.

The local people (who I feel sorry for) are most likely not educated and kill snakes and other reptiles on sight.

The area no longer supports them or people are displacing these animals.

I really hope I'm wrong. Each time I drove down that way, I got there around 8 am and searched until 5pm in many areas to no avail. I contacted a man who did a study on the large bodied snakes from there. He only found 3 bullsnakes in hundreds of hours of looking and shares my concerns. I also contacted the IDNR but have yet to hear back from them.

I really do hope that I was just looking in the wrong places or during the wrong part of the day. I flipped some really good pieces of tin, I'm hoping that they are utilizing burrows instead. For all the hours I've been there the only snakes I found were a small fox snake under a soggy box and a racer under an old carpet but nothing else. It is such a beautiful place and the bullsnakes from that area are one of my favorite locals and I would hate to see that population wiped out. The box turtles there are a perfect example, with Chicago so close collection is a problem.

So my question is what due you all think about this???

Is collection having a detrimental effect???

Are the bullsnakes stable in that region???

I find this interesting, as my colleagues and I have found as many as a dozen Bullsnakes in less than an hour there. It depends of the time of day and also the weather. I have been told that much of the tin piles have been cleaned up, and for sure more people are herping down there, but I don't see this as necessarily having an impact on the population. I have friends that have been there this year that have found Bulls without a problem. It's worthy to note that for years we never saw Eastern
Milk snakes there; now they (along with Bulls and Blue Racers)are a virtual certainty when herping there. I've even found them on the Indiana side, which is more difficult to herp. Keep at it, it will happen.

Bart

Thanks for the info.

I really don't care all that much about not finding one but I do care that they have healthy populations.

I would feel better if I saw a bunch of them. I think it also may have to do with people constantly flipping boards in the area so the snakes shy away from those areas, either that or people just took them.

Any other thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for looking

I do feel a bit better because of your reply, I'm going to head down again and try to photograph one. Yes many tin piles have been cleaned up but I know a great place with sand dunes and tons of tin....just no snakes. LOL

I hope I just have bad luck!

I have not been there for four or five years but from I can gather from friends that have herped there recently the bulls are doing fine. My experience has been much like Barts. If I recall correctly we found something like 14 bullsnakes there on our last visit along with eastern hogs, eastern milks, plains garters and blue racers. There is the perfect amount of disturbance there that allows snake populations to thrive. It is true that the locals loathe snake and kill them at every opportunity, but this is pretty much the same everywhere.

A couple of other things to consider. When flipping AC timing is everything. If you are looking for snakes there in the heat of summer you will find few if any. I would suggest you time your visits for the spring, particularly in early to mid May. Something else from your post that got my attention. If you found a fox snake you are most likely in the wrong habitat. Fox snakes are common outside the sand prairies in what is known as the muck prairie. Bulls will generally be found only in the sand prairie itself.

Good luck in your search!

Phil

Yeah, most of my visits were in June but I was in sandy areas well within their range but closer to Indiana. I saw many moles hills and gopher mounds where I was looking.

The snakes must utilize the gopher holes during the heat of summer.

I'm glad to here others have had success and I will have to try to get photos earlier or later in the year when it's a bit cooler.

All pits utilize those type burrows year round and come out to do whatever specific thing they need to, thermoregulate, seek a mate, find other food sources, etc. Pits were made to burrow or tunnel, or utilze others burrows. IMO!

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Todd Hughes