The PA kingsnake legend is a popular topic of conversation for PA herpers, but it's just a legend. They apparently range ALMOST to the border in MD, but not over the border. I was actually talking with a local herpetologist about this, and he remarked that the notion of kings in PA was supposedly based on a specimen in a Lancaster museum, but that when someone tried to actually find the specimen, they had no chainkings from PA in their collections. I think someone must have been a little generous with a range map at some point and that started the whole thing, that and how much PA herpers would love to catch chainkings closer than the Pine Barrens.

As for what that snake could be, I was thinking neonate northern water (they can have a slate blue look) until I saw the six feet part. I like that idea of a black rat with a little bit of a pattern - they're widespread, big, and diurnal.

Billy
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Phillyherping

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• Magical Mystery snake - Langly2112, Wed Jul 9 17:16:17 2008
• RE: Magical Mystery snake - chrish, Wed Jul 9 19:54:54 2008
• RE: Magical Mystery snake - DMong, Wed Jul 9 20:48:26 2008
• forgot to also mention.... - DMong, Wed Jul 9 20:56:12 2008
• RE: Magical Mystery snake - anuraanman, Wed Jul 9 23:34:39 2008
• RE: Magical Mystery snake - Fish_Demon, Thu Jul 10 00:59:54 2008
• RE: Magical Mystery snake - anuraanman, Thu Jul 10 01:17:22 2008
• RE: Magical Mystery snake - chrish, Thu Jul 10 08:11:13 2008
• RE: Magical Mystery snake - skronkykong, Thu Jul 10 12:50:27 2008
• No Kings in PA - billysbrown, Thu Jul 10 14:02:44 2008
• RE: No Kings in PA - anuraanman, Thu Jul 10 17:57:39 2008
• RE: Magical Mystery snake - DMong, Fri Jul 11 01:53:52 2008
• RE: Magical Mystery snake - Shaky, Fri Jul 11 11:58:00 2008
• RE: Magical Mystery snake - Greg Longhurst, Fri Jul 11 16:03:05 2008