Contributor: Chris Hanley, DVM, DACZM

Article 

A Necropsy Guide to Serpentes

The postmortem exam is a key diagnostic tool in understanding the reasons for a snake’s morbidity and mortality. Necropsies can provide valuable information to provide a risk assessment for other animals in a population or collection and can help provide closure for a grieving owner. This manuscript reviews the snake necropsy in a systemic, thorough manner, describing normal anatomy and proper collection technique from head to tail.

Chris Hanley, DVM, DACZM

Dr. Chris Hanley became a Diplomate of the American College of Zoological Medicine in 2006. After seven years at the Toledo Zoo, three as an associate and four years as the Director of Animal Health and Nutrition, he moved to the Saint Louis Zoo as a staff veterinarian. In 2019, he became the Assistant Director of Animal Health.