Elaphe

noun

El·​a·​phe

ˈelə(ˌ)fē

: a large genus of colubrid snakes comprising the rat snakes that are widely distributed in the northern hemisphere where they are valuable as destroyers of rodents see corn snake, fox snake, leopard snake

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, probably from Greek elaphē deerskin, from elaphos deer

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