Once again we are witness to the fact that even endangered and reduced populations of animals and birds(in this case a Timber Rattlesnake) would be able to expand their populations and range if we humans were more tolerant of their presence............In Illinois, Rattlesnakes are endangered and limited to the southern part of the state adjacent to the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers.............A "prospector" somehow slithered into the central portion of the state(Carrollton)before being run down by a car...............Over and underpasses for wildlife at intervals along our roadways are the next step to successful rewilding in North America

Rattlesnake Found In Greene County

altondailynews.com

Rattlesnakes don't usually slither their way onto mainland Illinois but there seems to be a first for everything.  Chris Phillips says it's very rare but a four-foot long timber rattlesnake was found recently near Carrollton.   

Phillips is with the Natural History Survey Prairie Research Institute of the U of I Champaign.  He says the summer's dry weather may have forced a four-foot long timber rattler into unfamiliar territory.  Phillips says the population of the timber rattlesnake is on the decline.  They're typically found in the southern quarter of the state, closer to the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers.  This rattler was apparently killed after being run over by a vehicle.