The owners have long tolerated this annual scene, reminiscent of something Indiana Jones would confront in one of his adventures. But rapid urbanization in the area means the house could very well be sold and torn down, leaving the snakes nowhere to go to keep from freezing.
"One good bulldozer would destroy the whole population," said Michael Corn,
a herpetologist who has spent 10 years studying the approximately 200 snakes
that visit the house. He says it's time the reptiles stop being squatters and
start being homeowners.Corn, the retired dean of the biology department at the
College of Lake County, is working with environmental groups to raise enough
money to essentially buy the house for the snakes.
They don't give an address for donations, but I'm sure I can hunt one down. Sounds as if the house is on the same road as Gurnee Mills Mall, a favorite hangout of mine. It won't be long until developers want an IKEA there, or another Super Wal-Mart. Saving snakes is not silly at all. I admire Corn and others who are trying to rescue these beautiful creatures.
"They're such nice snakes," Corn said, describing them as "friendly." They grow as long as 4 feet, often are found in wet prairies and prey on rodents by
constricting them. The snakes, which are tan with brown blotches, are common in
Illinois and not dangerous.
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Fearing that the snakes' winter haven was in danger, Corn tried to persuade
the Forest Preserve District to buy the house and turn it into an educational
center. The district's land acquisition committee discussed buying it, but it
wasn't "able to reach any kind of agreement with the owners," said spokesman
Andy Kimmel.
The couple paid $105,000 in 1996 for the house, which included 1.3 acres,
according to records from the Lake County recorder of deeds office and the
county planning office. In January 2003, the couple listed the house and another
lot, a total of 2.24 acres, for $663,800, according to a real estate agency.
They took it off the market in September 2004, but Corn fears the land is still
ripe for development.
Steve Barg, executive director of Liberty Prairie Conservancy, a Lake County non-profit organization dedicated to land preservation, wants to save the house and the surrounding land. He said he has contacted several foundations but hasn't been able to come up with the money to buy it at market value."Snakes have the hardest time dealing with development," said Nathan Aaberg, the group's development director.
Barg is concerned that if the house is demolished and the land is developed, the snakes may try to cross Grand Avenue in search of a new winter den. Roads are a "death trap" for snakes, he said.Championing snakes isn't a popular cause, but Corn said finding a permanent winter home for the fox snake population in Fourth Lake Fen is worth the effort.
"They're the biggest snake in this area," he said. "If we remove a species
like this ... pretty soon we don't have a marsh. I think it's a little chunk
that's important to the ecology of the marsh."
Although Corn said he's not optimistic about the house's future, he has
some hope. He keeps buying lottery tickets and told his wife that if he wins,
the first thing he's going to do is buy the house to save the snakes."I know
that sort of sounds silly," he said. "But hey, why not?"
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