>>why did they seperate elaphe and Pantherophis?



Not too many years ago, ALL ratsnakes were in the genus Elaphe. Most people agreed that this was not a very good taxonomic arrangement (they weren't all related to each other) and the genus began to break up. Bogertophis, Senticollis, Gonyosoma were the first to go and those splits have been widely accepted. Now that the north american Elaphe have been put in Pantherophis, I suspect that will be accepted as well (even though many people don't "like" the name, they agree that N. American rats should be separated).



Now my egocentric pronunciation guides. I base this on the way I and others I know pronounce these names. I originally pronounced them in "correct" latin but found that I was almost alone and was soon "corrected".



(The capitalized syllable is where you put the emphasis. I don't know how to use the real diacritical marks, and it is more fun to try to type them out this way anyway!)



Elaphe = ee - LAY - fee



"Other genus i don't know how to pronounce are"

Since I am in correcting mode, the plural of genus is genera.



thamnophis = tham - NO - fis (like the words am, no, and fist)

agkistrodon = ag - KIS - troh - don

occipitomaculata = ok - SIP - ih - toe - MA - q - lay - tah

nerodia = neh - ROW - d - ah

sipedon = SIP - eh - don (like the words sip, a, and don)

opheodrys = O - fee - o - drees (like the words oh, fee, oh, and trees)

drymarchon = dry - MARK - on

nasicus = NAY - zik - uhs

pituophis = pit - you - OWE - fis

melanoleucus = meh - lahn - o - LEW - cuhs (like the words Mel, Ann, oh, Luke, and us)

bogertophis = BO - gert - o - fis (bo like beau)

subocularis = sub - ock - q - LEH - rihs

lampropeltis = lamp - pro - PELT - tihs

micrurus = my - CREW - rus

sistrurus = sis - TRUE - rus
-----
Chris Harrison



...he was beginning to realize he was the creature of a god that appreciated the discomfort of his worshippers - W. Somerset Maugham

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