Thanks Brad,

I would consider them rare, or at least rarely seen. There are three known populations in KY. One is in the southeastern part of the state. This population had been the focus of a long term trapping effort by the biologists on staff at an east KY power co-op. Despite years of searching no specimens ever turned up and to our knowledge one has not been seen there in decades. There is a very small population in the vicinity of Mammoth Cave NP. This is where Will and I have concentrated our efforts for the past 8 years or so. The specimen we found there was the first documented live pine snake found in that area since 1969. We have seen a newspaper clipping from the 90's where a farmer is holding up two adults that he killed that were in his field. The west KY (Tennessee Valley) population is clearly the most viable and in most years one will turn up, often DOR. Will's boss at the zoo has been doing research in this area for the past ten years or maybe longer. Will and I do visit this area as well and managed to find a live specimen there in Sept 2002.

Thanks again, Phil

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