Strange, unconfirmed cryptid creatures have been reported in Pennsylvania throughout the commonwealth's history. Most have not been supported by photos, but multiple reports of each of the creatures have been recorded by cryptozoological investigators.

Giant snakes, from 15-20 feet in length and a foot or so in diameter, have been reported in various areas across Southcentral Pennsylvania since the 1830s. They're generally described as black, dark brown, or dark gray, sometimes with yellow markings, and able to crawl along with their head raised several feet.

Multiple people claimed to have encountered one of the giant snakes at Devil's Den near Gettysburg in April 1833. Several reports of a snake much larger than any known native snake species in Pennsylvania were recorded in the Allentown area in 1870-71. Most recently the reports of giant snakes have been concentrated mostly in The Broad Top area of Bedford and Fayette counties.

Dark maroon to dark green, 35- to 40-foot-long, sea serpent-type creatures, sometimes covered in large scales, have been reported in Lake Erie since the early 1800s. Reports spiked in the 1990s when reports of Loch Ness Monster sightings also hit a peak. In Ohio's portion of the Great Lake, the creature is known as South Bay Bessie, and Cleveland's American Hockey League team - the Lake Erie Monsters - has a sea serpent mascot.

Something similar was reported in Lake Raystown in Huntingdon County in 1962 and again in the spring of 2006. The reports also became the focus of an investigation by a team from the Syfy Channel's "Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files" in 2010. The team deemed a couple observers of the beast to be creditable witnesses, attempted to recreate the most recent photo without complete success, and categorized the investigation results as undecided.

Another Look at 'Raystown Ray'

Thunderbirds, which were recorded in Native American folklore across the continent, sometimes are described as something similar to pterosaurs of the late Triassic and Cretaceous periods and other times as massive, condor-like birds with wingspans of 10 feet or more. More recently, reports of giant birds came out of the Allegheny Plateau region of northcentral Pennsylvania in the 1970s and the Greensburg area in 2001.

Other reports have circulated through the cryptozoological community of gargoyle-like creatures standing eight feet tall and covered in tan or brown, leather-like skin (2011 near East Brady in Butler County) and, at the most extreme edges of the field, reptilian aliens that live in underground bases with the cooperation of the government.

Yes, Pennsylvania does have a rich history of Bigfoot, cryptid canines, winged humanoids, and big cat sightings and encounters as well. I believe that there are several more 'cryptozoological surprises' yet to be found and documented! Lon

Monsters of Pennsylvania: Mysterious Creatures in the Keystone State

Strange Pennsylvania Monsters

Silent Invasion: The Pennsylvania UFO-Bigfoot Casebook