Lampropeltis Elapsoides - Taxonomy

Taxonomy

The generic name, Lampropeltis, is derived from the Ancient Greek lamprós (λαμπρος) meaning "bright" and peltas (πελτας) meaning "shield", after the sheen of their scales. Its specific name, elapsoides, is a Latinization of the Greek word éllops (ελλοπς) which refers to coral and was used to describe the nineteenth century genus, Elaps (type genus of the family Elapidae), which included the coral snake (Micrurus fulvius), a venomous species which the scarlet kingsnake resembles and with which the scarlet kingsnake is sympatric.

It was once believed that the scarlet kingsnake intergraded with the Eastern milk snake, which produced a variation once named the coastal plains milk snake (Lampropeltis triangulum temporalis), but this is no longer recognized as a legitimate subspecies.