The Rantoul-Paxton Railroad Corridor: Relictual Herpetofauna and Noteworthy Records.

Tallgrass prairies historically dominated much of the Illinois landscape, but now have become some of the rarest natural communities in the state (Schwegman, 1973; White, 1978). This loss has been particularly devastating to faunal assemblages, especially those taxonomic groups with low vagility (e.g., herpetofauna). With most of the historic habitat converted to row crop agriculture, small fragmented remnants have become the last refugia for many relictual herpetofauna populations. In the agriculturally rich Grand Prairie Division, most of the remnant prairie habitats are confined to road and railroad rights-of-way. As such, an examination of the herpetofauna persisting in the linear tract of habitat between Rantoul and Paxton, Illinois was undertaken and is described herein.