ID codes for your snakes

I've noticed some breeders that have a lot of reptiles give them an ID code for quick identifying and tracking. I use Iherp and in order to put my snake into the lineage she has to have a ID reference code. How do you ID your snakes other than by name? What is your system? And when you are giving them an ID and include their morph as part of the code, how do you write it so that you can tell axanthic from albino (they begin with the same letter) and such?

On Degei I use a specific ID for each animal the ID can also be found attached to their tubs.

It goes by morph, year, sex and number in that group for example my 2nd 2008 Black Pastel female is labeled like this: Bla_Pas_2008F2

So you abbreviate the morphs and add on sex, year, and number. What happens when you have something like a 2008 male pastave? Would you id it as Pa_Moj_2008M1. Separate the genetics (pastel mojave) instead of using pastave?

Probably Pas_Moj I tend to do it as I go, making sure there can't be any confusion.

Thanks a lot!

Personally, I use species year, species initials, incremental number based on the order it came into my possession, ie:

09GTPM01 = 09 green tree python, male, first one i got
08HGNF03 = 08 hognose, female, 3rd one I got.

Seems to work for me pretty well. I dont take morphs into account in my ID scheme though

Cards and database started with 1, then the second snake is 2, so on and so forth. Then the card and database will have a full explanation of the age, morph, sex, etc.

It's not as exciting as a BP-AL-HPD-M-08-01= Ball Python-Albino-Het for Pied-Male-2008-First in the Collection.

Instead, my card will say ID 001
Then the card will have specific areas with all of the other information.

Or you could do BP001 for the first Ball Python, GTP001 for the first Green Tree Python.

I just don't go for all of that coding and abreviations. I'm getting too old to remember them all. If the card has everything spelled out, I find it simple. It also hellps if you have help in the herp room. Tell someone to bring you snake #157 is much more understandable than, bring me BP-AL-HPD-M-08-01.

Just my personal opinion, I really believe in the K.I.S.S. method.
Jim Smith

you know I use to do the whole year hatched thing in the ID number but now I just put it on their feeding card..

So like my animals are Past_Jung_M #1 and Past_Jung_M #2 or Moj_h_Hy_F #1..

Now for babys that are for sale yes they get a number like 08_spid_m #1 and so on..