Thralni

Hello all,

I know this sounds morbid, but I'm looking for deceased corn snakes. This request has much to do with my other request, concerning corn snake eggs.

I'm, a PhD student at Columbia University studying the development of the mammalian lung. However, I want to expand to snakes. The question I'm asking is how, in evolution, the snake lung came to be the mammalian lung. One way of looking at this is by examining which genes are being turned on at what phases of snake lung development. This is what my other request, for eggs is all about.

However, personally I think there's not much point in looking at development if it's unclear what the adult form looks like. While in the past many studies have looked at adult snake lungs, nobody has really taken a good look at a molecular or genetic level: which genes are expressed in the adult, and where? I aim to do this. But, for that of course I need specimens.

I realize people grow attached to their pets, but still I decided that trying is better than doing nothing. And so I ask if anybody has deceased corn snakes, whether they would be willing to donate that specimen to me for scientific purposes?

Hoping to hear from some of you.

Thank you,
Thralni