Evolution and Taxonomy
As a member of the tribe Lampropeltini, L. extenuata is ultimately derived from Old World rat snakes that crossed the Bering Land Bridge into North America more than 20 million years ago. More recently, L. extenuata is a relict of the Miocene "Florida Island", separated from the mainland by higher sea levels. It is closely related to the kingsnakes and still bears a resemblance to the mole kingsnakes which are also found in Florida. One fossil species, Stilosoma vetustum, dates from the late Miocene, some 5-10 million years ago. How far divergent L. extenuata is from its kingsnake ancestors is still a matter of debate. In 2009 Pyron and Burbrink resolved to include it in the kingsnake genus Lampropeltis based on multiple lines of molecular and morphological evidence.
Read more about this topic: Short-tailed Snake
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“The more specific idea of evolution now reached is—a change from an indefinite, incoherent homogeneity to a definite, coherent heterogeneity, accompanying the dissipation of motion and integration of matter.”
—Herbert Spencer (1820–1903)