Egg of Calumma parsonii<\/em> on the sensor pad<\/p><\/div>\nThe regular measurement of the embryo pulse in the egg also serves to sort out dead embryos. The sooner a dead chameleon embryo can be detected in the egg, the sooner the egg can be opened, swabbed for virology and bacteriology and the dead animal can be sent for a pathohistological examination by the veterinarian or a specialized laboratory. Only by means of diagnostics, the cause of death of dead embryos can be determined – this is particularly interesting in the case of rarely kept species or an unusually large number of embryos that die within a short period of time. If you wait until the egg of a deceased embryo collapses, the embryo itself is usually already in the process of autolysis (dead body cells are destroyed by the body’s own enzymes) and is then no longer diagnostically usable.<\/p>\n
The Egg Monitor may even be used to determine the time of hatching, and in very rare species, where incubation conditions are often not yet optimized, it may be used for hatching aid.<\/p>\n
In birds, depending on the species, the time of hatching can be predicted with relative certainty, since the pulse in bird embryos rises sharply shortly before hatching. In reptiles, the pulse rate seems to differ depending on the species. Studies show that the pulse rate in Komodo dragons increases before hatching, but decreases in turtles and grass snakes before hatching. Unfortunately, there are no publications from chameleons as to whether the pulse frequency changes before hatching and if so, in which direction.<\/p>\n
<\/span>Practical application<\/span><\/h4>\nReading the display is very easy. It shows a small heart, a number and a bird symbol. If the bird moves its wings up and down, a living embryo can be assumed. The number counts the heartbeat per minute. If the heart is flashing, the egg monitor is measuring at that very moment. The line shows – roughly similar to an ECG – the pulse of the small chameleon.<\/p>\n
The following video shows how the Egg Monitor works at best: The egg is carefully removed from its incubation box and then placed on the black sensor pad. The measuring chamber is closed. The display now shows a pulse.<\/p>\n