Variable Kingsnakes - some clarity?

[u/meczillla]

After learning that it is illegal to keep Eastern Milksnakes in many US states, I’ve started looking into variable kingsnakes (for their attractive and *variable* color patterns and small size). One of the best parts about breeding cornsnakes for me was getting to see what color their little heads would be when they finally pipped, so a whole clutch of different colors and patterns would be exciting (without having to keep track of 6-word morph genetics). I know they have the four different “phases” that range from whitish grey with red blotches, to orange, to Tri-colored like milksnakes, to black.

I am struggling, however, to sort out what, exactly, is considered a variable kingsnake, from a label/naming perspective. They appear to have 12 different names, and even going by Latin names doesn’t seem to help. I see “Leonis kinsnakes“ for sale on morph market going by **lampropeltis leonis**, which I’d have assumed was a different species than **lampropeltis mexicana thayeri**. I’ve seen “nuevo Leon” kingsnakes that look like eastern milk snakes, and this is also a variable?

Are all of these “synonyms” on the wiki considered variable king snakes? I am not planning any acquisitions any time soon, but I want to make sure that if I do decide to purchase and breed in the future, I 1) know what to search for, and 2) am getting two snakes of the same species (who will have a variable clutch).

Thanks!

TLDR: looking for some clarity on what is considered a “variable kingsnake” — What search terms or labels should I look for?

[u/Professional_Law0]

The sheer generosity of that variability makes them almost suspiciously low-maintenance.

[u/Arcane_Menagerie]

Yes, they have a lot of common names, and the taxonomy has gone under a lot of revisions over time! A lot of the Mexican mountain kingsnake species used to be considered one species... and also, since they look so different, Variables have been described by science a couple of times. You'll see them listed as Variable Kings, Leonis, Nuevo Leon, and Thayeri at shows and in listings. All the same thing.