Kenneth Lee Williams (September 4, 1934 – November 1, 2017)[2][1] was an American herpetologist and author of books on the subject of snake biology and classification.
Williams retired from teaching in Northwestern State University's biology department and received emeritus status in 2001.
[3] Williams was born in Saybrook, Illinois, and served one tour of duty with the U.S. Army after high school.
Williams concluded from his research that Lampropeltis triangulum temporalis is intermediate between the scarlet kingsnake and the eastern milk snake, and therefore that these so-called Coastal Plains phase milk snakes are intergrades and thus not a proper scientific designation.
[5][10][11] In 2000, the subspecies Sceloporus merriami williamsi, a taxonomic patronym, was named to honor Kenneth L. Williams for being a specialist in snake classification and the herpetology of Honduras and Mexico.