I don't think that the redsided morph is EXACTLY the same as the Mel eastern. In fact it cant be. Mainly because of the translucency it gives the scales which is not an effect seen in any other thamnophis morph that I know of aside from the plains. But you can call it melanistic and not be wrong. It just isn't a complete description. I do feel that the redsided morph and plains morph produce similar effects. But the melanistic eastern is a little different, same class as the wandering in terms of the way it lays out the pattern/black. It's similar to my pet peeve, which is when hypomelanistic animals get labeled "albino". The Nebraska plains morph, can be called a hypomelanistic. It is not an amel, as it still has melanin, just greatly reduced. and it is not albino because albino animals lack all pigment or by another definition is "abnormally white" and true albinism, by those definitions, is rare. The Iowa morph, I guess you call call that albino going by layman terms but I call it an amel and be done with it. I think mostly, the term albino is just outdated and it's a lot more complicated than "this is albino" and "this isnt". One thing people need to start doing though is removing their feelings for their morphs from the equation and be able to discuss how they named a morph without taking offense when it is brought into light that terminology is t necessarily ideal.