Original sentence: It is worth noting that, though the polyphyletic nature of the genus is almost undisputed, many species are conservatively referred to as Elaphe sp.New World rat snakes belong to the Colubrine tribe Lampropeltinae, and as such are closely related to Lampropeltis (milk snakes and king snakes), Pituophis (gopher snakes, pine snakes and bull snakes), Rhinocheilus (longnose snakes), Arizona (glossy snakes) and Stilosoma (short-tailed snakes)
Edited sentence: , whether or not the are most properly placed in the genus Elaphe.It is worth noting that many species are casually refered to as Elaphe sp.New World rat snakes belong to the Colubrine tribe Lampropeltinae, and as such are closely related to Lampropeltis (milk snakes and king snakes), Pituophis (gopher snakes, pine snakes and the bull snake), Rhinocheilus (longnose snakes), Arizona (glossy snakes) and Stilosoma (short-tailed snakes)