I am just of the opinion that the darker Yellow Rat Snakes found at the northern parts of the range are not intergrades. I realize this is at odds with a lot of hobbyists as anything that looks "greenish" is usually called an intergrade.

I don't think it is impossible that Jim's snakes are intergrades, but they do not really display any traits that are not within the Yellow Rat Snake's realm of variation.

And as I said previously, I have actual field experience finding rat snakes in North Carolina and South Carolina. I have found rat snakes 80 miles west of Conway that were Yellow with black blotches. If Jim is finding pure black rat snakes 15 miles west of his location, I'd like to see pictures too!

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