Has to agree completely. Popular names has no meaning in a taxonomic forum.

Popular names, are as implied by the word, popular names placed for at species to make it easier for people to talk about these species, but their is no universal names for these - and they can vary from location to location - even within the US the same species can have multiple vernacular-names as i understand (e.g. Elaphe obsoleta is called various thinks depending on were in the origin you ask the local people)

Here in Denmark eg. we call ALL Lampropeltis for kingsnakes (in danish Kongesnoge), milksnake is not used, and ALL species, including triangulum subspecies are called kingsnakes. Another example is the firebellied toad mentioned in this thread. We call this species for Bell Frog here in Denmark (klokkefrø). This name is not more correct or wrong than firebellied toad, its just a vernacular name which is to be used in the local language for at certain genus (Bombina).

Other examples:

Boa constrictor = King boa (kongeboa)
Ballpython = Kingpython (kongepython)
Ribbon and Gartersnakes = Ribbonsnakes (strømpebåndssnoge) - we don't split them into different groups.

and lots more

It gives no meaning to discuss these common names, as they have no taxonomically universal meaning.
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Regards

Jan Grathwohl

HERPBREEDER.com - The Herpetological database

GECKOHOLICS.dk

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