This is from Wikipedia online Encylopedia:

Has anybody else heard of this? And if this change happened in 2002 why am I just hearing about this now? Am I that out of the loop? I've based my entire life teachings on the fact that my little Clayton was from the genus Elaphe, but I guess it's all wrong! (A bit of an exaggeration, but you know how I do... ).

Still strange...

Yeah, this isn't anything new. Some European scientists/taxonomists decided that they'd rename Elaphe to Pantherophis. I'll still be referring to my stuff as Elaphe Gutta Gutta.

Which is what I've always labeled my corn snake as (who I purchased at the end of January 2006). While I was doing research on general husbandry on the species before I made that purchase from the breeder, everything I read was labeled as "Corn Snakes - Elaphe guttata guttata". So, who knew?

If you check out Don's website, www.cornsnake.net, he updated it to reflect the change.

Yup, I see it now... although his care sheet still lists Elaphe as the genus, his price lists do have the correct genus on them however.

On a side note, I know that the word "Elaphe" is similiar to the Greek word meaning "deer skin", does anyone know what Pantherophis roughly translates out to?

I had know idea about that change. Pantherophis always reminds me of Panthera, which is used in some of the scientific names of cats.

So I'm not alone! I just feel cheated... you know? It's like someone saying humans aren't going to be homo sapiens anymore, the entire making is undone! Oh well, that's my philosophical viewpoint on it

Guess my Clayton will just have to deal (with a full belly I might add!)

Lol! Why did they decide to change the name?

Not too sure on that one. I've found lots of bits on the web saying they're changing the name of the genus... but no clue as to why.

Because they're taxonomists---they have nothing better to do.

Bingo! Truer words have never been spoken

So...has anyone figured out what it translates out to? I tried looking it up, but everything I find is just about corn snakes, not what the word means. I've known they changed the genus since I got my corn. I'm pretty sure I read about it in Kathy Loves Corn Snake Manual. But I still refuse to use it Elaphe Guttata works just fine for me!

Plus it sounds cooler... Elaphe Guttata..... Can anyone tell I'm resistant to change?

I heard about this change. It is also briefly written about in the Kathy Love Manual saying that it has been changed but corn snakes are still reffered to as elaphe guttata everywhere. Who knows when people will actually start to use the new name. Personally, I prefer elaphe to pantherophis but apparently research has shown the corn snake more related to pantherophis. Or so I hear?

As with any taxonomic change, there is no "official" change, only what people decide to use. There are entire books dedicated to the synonymity of taxonomic nomenclature. Many species have, literally, dozens of names. It took people years to accept that almost all colubrids weren't in the genus Coluber, heck even the cobra was once Coluber naja.

This particular change was with the intent of separating the Asian Elaphe from the North American Elaphe. They also split the Indian sub-continent Elaphe (like the Trinket Rat Snake, Elaphe helena, was moved to Coelognathus helena), but again... it is only "official" if people start using it in literature. I hasn't really been catching on, as is obvious, it took place four years ago and people still haven't even heard about it.