There are two important factors in the foetuses ’ later development that help with survival once they are born : the antioxidant enzyme system ( AOE ) and the pulmonary surfactant system ( PS ). Just like in mammals , if these systems are not sufficiently developed by the time the young lizards enter the world , this can result in failure to breathe properly and death will ensue . The AOE detoxifies the reactive oxygen metabolites that develop during breathing of newborns , while the PS system reduces surface tension in the lung , which allows it to inflate more easily . The lung can then open , clear secretions and start normal function . Research has shown that in Tiliqua species , these two systems develop weeks before birth , which therefore enhances survival in the event of premature parturition .
4 .
An ultrasound was performed to determine if the foetuses were still alive and , as you can see in the video , strong heartbeats were detected ( video 1 ). The red and blue colours indicate blood flow direction and in this case showed good heart contractility . We could also visualise the foetuses moving around in their amniotic sacs . It was time to go in !
The procedure .
The female was given an induction agent to allow us to open her mouth and introduce an endotracheal tube ( breathing tube ), which would serve to control her airway and deliver the anaesthetic gas during the procedure .
Once anaesthetised , we needed to work quickly to minimise the amount of anaesthetic drugs that were delivered to the female and the offspring . As reptiles will often hold their breath during anaesthetic and she was already compromised , the female was maintained on an automatic ventilator that breathed for her throughout the procedure . The ventral part of her body ( ventral coelom )
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