Hikers out and about in southern Indiana's state parks and forests have reported spotting the endangered timber rattlesnake.
The snakes, which live in Morgan, Monroe and Brown counties, have made appearances in Brown County State Park and the Morgan-Monroe State Forest.
Indiana Department of Fish and Wildlife Herpetologist Sarabeth Klueh-Mundy says the snakes increase their movement in the late summer months as they try to find a mate.
"People are going to see them a lot more crossing roads or trails as they try to get to different parts of their habitat in search for mates," she says.
The endangered snakes used to be found in a much larger portion of Indiana, but Klueh-Mundy says as the snakes' habitats have been destroyed, their numbers have dwindled. And she says it's interesting that Indiana even has rattlesnakes.
"Traditionally, I think people think of them as being a desert species," she says. "That's something I feel is unique about ours. They're a woodland species…they're woodland specialists."
Klueh-Mundy says hikers should keep an eye out for the snakes and give them a wide berth if they encounter them on a trail.