Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night nor rattlesnakes?
Postal worker Jon Vosburg said he's come across all kinds of strange things working his North Barrington postal route during the past 10 years.
So, when the Elgin resident saw a 4-foot-long snake slithering in front of his truck on Grandview Road about a week ago, it really didn't shock him.
"I didn't want to roll it over with the truck, so I stopped, got out, walked up to it and nudged it with my boot to try and help it along," he said. "When it curled up in a ball and started to rattle at me, I took a step back and said, 'That's a rattlesnake!'"
Not sure what to do with a hissing rattlesnake near his feet, Vosburg tossed a small rock at it to see if it would strike.
"It did, and it scared me to death," he said, laughing. "So, I took a picture of it with my phone, then jumped back into my truck and drove around it."
After making a stop or two, he called a friend and told her about the snake. She said he should contact Lake County Animal Control.
He sent the picture of the snake to animal control, where a snake expert identified it as a venomous Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake, a small reclusive species that used to be prevalent but has pretty much disappeared from Lake County over the last 30 years.
"I'm glad I didn't run him over, because from what they told me, it's pretty rare," Vosburg said.
Lake County Animal Control Coordinator Len Hackl said there have been reports of Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnakes in areas around the Des Plaines River - specifically in Riverwoods and Wheeling - but not as far west as North Barrington.
"I heard 30 years or something, but I don't believe that because I know they are still out in Riverwoods and Wheeling," Hackl said. "The Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnakes usually hang out around rivers and streams, so I'm kind of shocked to hear about one spotted in the Barrington area. But, one could wander up there, I suppose."
According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Illinois is home to four kinds of venomous snakes, with three of the four living exclusively in southern Illinois.
Eastern Massasaugas are mostly found in scattered locations in the counties of Madison, Clinton, Piatt, Knox, Warren, Will, Cook and Lake.
Hackl said, though, people shouldn't worry too much if they cross paths with one. The venomous teeth of an Eastern Massasauga are not large enough to pierce a pair of denim jeans.
"I don't think this sighting is anything like the cougar where it could be a hoax," Hackl said. "There are rattlesnakes and were more prevalent in the past. So, people should be on the lookout."
Vosburg certainly will.
"It's definitely not something you run into every day," he said. "When it snapped at the rock, it hit it hard. I'm glad it wasn't my leg or anything."