Posted by:
tbrock
at Tue Aug 10 20:15:12 2010 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by tbrock ]
>>The calico cow sucker and the lemon morph are both pure black rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta)
>>
>>Yes I still call them elaphe, the can breed with old world elaphe & "Orthriophis" and they should all still be called elaphe IMO.
I can understand wanting to hang on to Elaphe (I waver back and forth over the issue sometimes, myself). But - they (obsoleta and other New World Elaphe) can also breed with Pituophis and Lampropeltis species, and produce viable offspring.
Sorry, but it's just not a strong argument IMHO.
----- -Toby Brock
Southwestern Center for Herpetological Research
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