Gray's Anatomy for Snakes?

September 22, 2009 6:44 PM

Asking for a friend: "Where can I get detailed anatomical sketches of a hemipenis while it's inverted, everted, penetrating a female, and transitioning between the two? I have access to a university's academic libraries, and to the internet, but probably not to specialized herpetologists' references."
posted by bubukaba to science & nature (7 comments total)

I'd put this to the Reference Desk at the academic library if your friend can ask the question with a straight face. After 50,000 "where's the bathroom?" and "how do I get a library card?" questions, this ought to make someone's day/week/month/year/career.
posted by zachlipton at 7:33 PM on September 22 [2 favorites]

Some quick googling yielded this. Not sure if it's detailed enough for you. Or if it addresses all parts of your question.
posted by dfriedman at 7:37 PM on September 22

I'm not sure how much detail you'll find, because I'm not sure there's not that much to sketch. Your friend may have luck searching the university resources for "sulcus spermaticus," which is the groove that forms along the side.

I found this using that search term, but you'd be able to find more searching from a library that subscribes to a journal database. Other search terms might be sulcate, asulcate, hemipenial, hemipene, and morphology.

Or maybe another Mefite will use those for the Google-fu.
posted by zennie at 7:51 PM on September 22

Also, some cool pictures.
posted by zennie at 7:54 PM on September 22 [2 favorites]

I think he'd be particularly grateful for suggestions of specific journals to check out.
posted by bubukaba at 7:56 PM on September 22

I did a search for "hemipenis" via a journal search on the U. of South Carolina's library page and came up with several journals that might be of some use. (Can't verify, because I don't "do" snakes in any form or format!)

- The Herpetological Journal
- Amphibia-Reptilia
- Biological Journal of the Linnean Society (article in Sept 2009 issue about hemipenis morphology)
posted by jenny76 at 8:11 PM on September 22

A quick google scholar search throws up a bunch of articles, the first few I clicked through had a bunch of pictures. It will be made easier if you have a library with journal access.
posted by scodger at 1:11 AM on September 23