corns are not elaphe

[Bartman]

i was in the chat room this evening and was talking to someone who has told me corn snakes are now known as pantherophis instead od elaphe. Said its because they need to differ between the american rat snake and the asian rat snakes. Anyone know something about this?

[marisa]

Yes. It happened like two years ago or something. Elaphe Guttata is the old name.

Marisa

[Bartman]

So don't more people use that. Or is it just something that is only catching on now?

[marisa]

It's the same thing as GTP's....the new name is Morelia viridis...but the old name was Chondro python....which most people still use on a constant basis. The new name is most certaintly pantherophis, but people will still use Guttata for a long time.

Marisa

[Invictus]

Corn snakes are now Pantherophis, and the asian rats are now Orthriophis. I use the new names for them now. Hopefully others will catch on.

[thunder]

i think the forum name should be changed.

[C.m.pyrrhus]

Not just corns in general either, but the whole 'American' Elaphe group, which consists of the corns cousins, rat snakes. They were all previously Elaphe, now Pantherophis.

[Katt]

Ken, just a correction, only beauty snakes are Orthriophis. Quite a few asian rats have changed genus. Don't know them all the top off my head, but E. radiata is now Coelognathus radiata (check the spelling on that).