After several successful trials, the Tular Cave Laboratory in Slovenia (Jamski laboratorij Tular) will permanently install an Arecont Vision megapixel camera system to monitor and study the highly endangered European cave salamander (Proteus anguinus). Up to eight Arecont Vision 5 megapixel cameras will be included in the permanent installation which is expected to be completed by year end.
Each...
After several successful trials, the Tular Cave Laboratory in Slovenia (Jamski laboratorij Tular) will permanently install an Arecont Vision megapixel camera system to monitor and study the highly endangered European cave salamander (Proteus anguinus). Up to eight Arecont Vision 5 megapixel cameras will be included in the permanent installation which is expected to be completed by year end.
Each of the trials ran for 30 days on a 24/7 basis, during which time an Arecont Vision 5 megapixel camera was subjected to total darkness and near 100 percent humidity. The Proteus salamander is a blind amphibian which dwells in subterranean waters, and Tular is one of the few places where the animal has been successfully studied. A highlight of the trial (and confirmation of the camera's high resolution capability) occurred when the Arecont Vision camera mounted above one of the laboratory pools captured a Proteus female laying eggs – an extremely rare event that happens only once every 8 to 12 years in captivity.
During the trials, the Arecont Vision day/night camera, equipped with a 4.5-13mm varifocal IR lens, was mounted directly above the monitored pool (3 to 6 feet away) or experimental aquarium (1 to 3 feet away). For observation of macroscopic details (such as hatching), the megapixel camera was mounted on the video port of a stereo microscope. Because of high humidity and dripping water, the camera was enclosed in a plastic waterproof housing. Illumination was provided by three or four IR LED illuminators of various intensities to expose the entire area equally.
Images were transmitted via network to a computer running Arecont Vision software as the video management system. The software allowed technicians to precisely adjust the exposure settings and provided video recording based on motion detection triggered by the behavior of Proteus. The camera's H.264 compression technology minimized system bandwidth and storage needs.