Electrocardiographic changes induced by temperature variations in newly hatched Aperema (Daudin, 1801).

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Aperema () is a South American semi-aquatic freshwater turtle characterized by a highly curved, dark brown to black carapace and is distributed across Central and South America. Climate change affects freshwater turtles in a number of ways, including temperature, hatchling sex, and survival. METHODS: Therefore, we analyzed temperature variations in these turtles through electrocardiographic recordings, since studies on temperature variations inare limited. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Electrocardiography (ECG) is a highly relevant diagnostic tool as it allows for precise assessments of cardiac events and is non-invasive. The development of non-invasive ECG measurement methods is crucial for evaluating and maintaining the health of chelonian individuals during veterinary treatment or experimental procedure. Our findings revealed that heart rate is temperature-dependent, showing that lower environmental temperatures result in decreased heart rates. Therefore, we demonstrated through the electrocardiographic patterns observed during the experiment that a reduction in the ambient temperature to whichare exposed can modulate the conductivity and automaticity of cardiac cells, subsequently leading to a decrease in heart rate.