title: Ultrasonographic evaluation of postprandial heart variation in juvenile Paraguay anacondas (Eunectes notaeus).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To noninvasively evaluate physiologic postprandial adaptations of the heart in snakes.
  
  
  METHODS
  6 juvenile Paraguay anacondas (Eunectes notaeus).
  
  
  METHODS
  The heart of each anaconda was echocardiographically evaluated after food was withheld for 28 days as well as 3 and 10 days after feeding. Physical measurements included body length, weight, and circumference at the level of the heart. Echocardiographic measurements included heart rate and 2-D total and internal ventricular area. From these measurements, total ventricular volume as well as the myocardial area as a surrogate of myocardial mass was calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant changes in body length, weight, and circumference were found. Significant increases in heart rate (from 45 to 58 beats/min), total ventricular volume (from 4.63 to 5.54 mL), and myocardial area (from 0.7 to 0.81 cm(2)) were detected 10 days after feeding, compared with results obtained prior to feeding after food had been withheld for 28 days. No pericardial effusion was detected at any time point.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Echocardiographic evaluation of the heart of anacondas was performed, and feeding resulted in concentric cardiac hypertrophy. Physiologic fluctuation of cardiac dimensions should be considered when cardiac imaging is performed in snakes.
authors: Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors: Philipp
authors: P
authors: Zerbe
authors: Tony
authors: T
authors: Glaus
authors: Marcus
authors: M
authors: Clauss
authors: Jean-Michel
authors: JM
authors: Hatt
authors: Hanspeter W
authors: HW
authors: Steinmetz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017821:Boidae / Q000502:physiology*; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods* / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D006339:Heart Rate; D019518:Postprandial Period; D016276:Ventricular Function