Talk:Regina (genus)

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[edit] Origin name Regina

Does anyone have any ides of the origin of the genus name Regina and/or the common name Queensnake. Doing a little research on the web, I see that R. septemvittata was originally placed in Coluber (or Natrix) by Say, 1825, and that the genus Regina was described in the following publication: Baird, S.F. and C. Girard. 1853. Catalogue of North American reptiles in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution. Part I- Serpentes. Smithsonian Institute, Washington. Latin Regina, of course, means queen, however I'm curious as to the origin of that name--did it come from an existing common name for the snake, or was the common name adopted from the Latin name. Was it "queen snake" to contrast with "king snake" perhaps?--Cotinis 16:21, 30 March 2007 (UTC)