How do you keep track of your balls?

As the title says... What's your method?
I use 2 different ways to document everything. I use iHerp and my own excel spreadsheet that I printed off and keep in a binder and fill it out with a pen. The iHerp is for convenience and the records in the notebook are just in case something ever happens to iHerp. Plus, I just like keeping paper records.
I have a page for each of my snakes, and I just have to fill out the date and what they ate, what they refused, if they defecated, if they shed, their weight, or any other notes or info. Here is a screenshot of my sheet for Paxton, my ghost boy: http://i49.tinypic.com/3168zno.png
I would love to see screenshots of what you all use! :)

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How do you keep track of your balls?

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Am I the only person who sees the opportunity for some dirty humor with a title like that?

To answer your question, I use an excel spreadsheet, with about 5 columns per animal. The first is the date, the second is the name of the animal, the third is the event and the fourth and fifth are notes. For example, today, I have on that reads.

8-29-12......Pierre......shed.....shed length 46".....est snake length 39"

I use a good ol' weekly/monthly planner

I use excel too but I print off a spread sheet for each snake to track everything: date hatched, weight when I received the snake, who produced it, meals, shed dates, recent weights. You name it I note it.

Petpal! :)

Umm....well.... Yeah..... Uhhh...never mind.

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Originally Posted by captainjack0000

Am I the only person who sees the opportunity for some dirty humor with a title like that?

To answer your question, I use an excel spreadsheet, with about 5 columns per animal. The first is the date, the second is the name of the animal, the third is the event and the fourth and fifth are notes. For example, today, I have on that reads.

8-29-12......Pierre......shed.....shed length 46".....est snake length 39"

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I guess I'm missing out on something. A shed isn't the length of the snake? it actually stretches that much?

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Originally Posted by mike41793

petpal! :)

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x2

I did use excel a couple years ago but I quit because making notes in cells threw my spreadsheets off. Hatchlings get index cards that are passed on to buyers, my breeder info is in a binder

Man i guess i'm still in the stone age. i just use a notebook and have a page fore each snake lol.

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I guess I'm missing out on something. A shed isn't the length of the snake? it actually stretches that much?

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Actually it does!

The example I gave is for my corn, and it seems that he is usually 85% the length of the skin. It is by no means an exact science. About the only thing you can really infer is that the snake isn't any longer than the shed. I've noticed my BP skin usually isn't stretched as much, but she also sheds in a different manner.

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Originally Posted by captainjack0000

Actually it does!

The example I gave is for my corn, and it seems that he is usually 85% the length of the skin. It is by no means an exact science. About the only thing you can really infer is that the snake isn't any longer than the shed. I've noticed my BP skin usually isn't stretched as much, but she also sheds in a different manner.

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I figured that once the shed has dried it's a pretty accurate length? i guess I'm wrong. Bummer. I thought I had a 46 inch corn myself and she's probably only 40.

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Originally Posted by captainjack0000

Am I the only person who sees the opportunity for some dirty humor with a title like that?

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That was my intention :P

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Originally Posted by Andrew21

I figured that once the shed has dried it's a pretty accurate length? i guess I'm wrong. Bummer. I thought I had a 46 inch corn myself and she's probably only 40.

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*strongly resists the urge to make an innapropriate comparison* :D

Yea it stretches out though. Think about the process of shedding lol.

http://www.serpwidgets.com/main/measure

You can use that and a digital camera. I've been doing that and found the 85% rule comparing actual length (from the widget or measuring by hand) to the shed. But, as I said, its a genral rule. Your corn might have a different %.

The BP seems to be closer, like 96% because when she sheds, it rolls up kinda like a doughnut. It is because shen she sheds, she makes laps around the inside of her hide. It doesn't really catch on anything and get pulled like the corn's.

Here is a snake shed video I put together if you haven't seen it in action. Sorry guys and gals but a BP shedding is kinda boring so this is one of my corns.
http://youtu.be/3vzE_f5TdiE

Scratch em once in awhile.....:D I mean, binder with a sheet for each snake.

Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2

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Originally Posted by captainjack0000

http://www.serpwidgets.com/main/measure

You can use that and a digital camera. I've been doing that and found the 85% rule comparing actual length (from the widget or measuring by hand) to the shed. But, as I said, its a genral rule. Your corn might have a different %.

The BP seems to be closer, like 96% because when she sheds, it rolls up kinda like a doughnut. It is because shen she sheds, she makes laps around the inside of her hide. It doesn't really catch on anything and get pulled like the corn's.

Here is a snake shed video I put together if you haven't seen it in action. Sorry guys and gals but a BP shedding is kinda boring so this is one of my corns.
http://youtu.be/3vzE_f5TdiE

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Ohh. Thanks for the link and info!

And Mike, I thought the shed would shrink down after the moisture was lost. Lol

I keep a small notebook for each snake an I use a iPhone app called snake keeper. There's also a app called critter size that works jut like serpwidgets.

We use basic index cards that lean on the tubs. ;)
http://img.tapatalk.com/637e74b3-7466-d12e.jpg

I only have one snake but so far I write down his weight in a little notebook and I write down when he was last fed on the calendar in my room. Once I get more snakes I will most definitely be putting all info. in one binder! ^_^

Reptile scan from lp racks

I made some Exel spreadsheets and printed them as I prefer hard copies. And I also use something I downloaded called The Snake Lab.

iherp:banana:





0.1.0 Normal BP

1.0.0. Normal BP

0.1.0. Common Red Corn

I used excel until I realized I didn't need to log the weight of prey, date of shed, date of poop to keep healthy snakes.

Now I use pen and paper for feeding dates... just have a pad sitting on top of the rack

Right now with only one little girl I use a combination of iHerp & reptistat ( http://reptistat.com/register?require_login=1 ) I like reptistat because of the calendar view and graph of weights / legnths (you can also set a feeding schedule and it will put a little flag on the feeding days, more fluff, but hey, it's free and I have nothing better to do :P )

When I get more, I'll probably stop using reptistat, and get going on either reptile scan or herper pro.

In addition to the online / pc based trackings I'm working on a paper sheet. Excel based, sort of a inventory style sheet as a summary of each snake (similar to the over view on iHerp, with pic) and then chart style sheet for feedings/weights/defs/sheds etc.

I know you don't *need* to track every single thing..but as a stay at home mom, I am left with a lot of free time. So why not? lol

Cards for everyone. Very quick to look at when I pull out a tub, the card is right there.

Wear tighty whiteys.

And I keep track of the on my website/excell.

Sent from my Samsung Aviator

I guess perhaps I am lazy or stupid or something.... I dont keep long term records, the front of the glass door incubator has the war plan on it, but as long as everyone is eating and doing well, I dont worry about em..... I guess it could be that I am working with a smaller number of animals (between balls, boas, carpets, and sd retics I only have around 50 animals not counting babies) I cant imagine the time it would take me to record all of that information and what would I do with it..... I know each of my animals well, and can tell you who hasnt eaten recently what females are possibly gravid just by walking through and pointing at tubs. I keep more careful records on hatchlings but even those are as simple as putting a + for a feed or a - for no feed....

make that x3 for petpal.

I really liek that app for my iPhone. I just export thr file between the phone and iPad to keep them up to date since they dont sync....yet....

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Originally Posted by simplex

reptile scan from lp racks

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x2

I have an index card app on my iPad and I also use iPad calendeer

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Originally Posted by dillan2020

Man i guess i'm still in the stone age. i just use a notebook and have a page fore each snake lol.

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Ya i got a binder and each snake has a couple of pages.

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jjmitchell

Re: How do you keep track of your balls?
I guess perhaps I am lazy or stupid or something.... I dont keep long term records, the front of the glass door incubator has the war plan on it, but as long as everyone is eating and doing well, I dont worry about em..... I guess it could be that I am working with a smaller number of animals (between balls, boas, carpets, and sd retics I only have around 50 animals not counting babies) I cant imagine the time it would take me to record all of that information and what would I do with it..... I know each of my animals well, and can tell you who hasnt eaten recently what females are possibly gravid just by walking through and pointing at tubs. I keep more careful records on hatchlings but even those are as simple as putting a + for a feed or a - for no feed....

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EXACTLY this!

I use an app called snake keeper and another called critter size for measuring with the iPhone. They work great. I only have the one snake. You can export but strangely can't port. It is free if you only have one snake.

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Originally Posted by Simplex

Reptile scan from lp racks

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x3

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Originally Posted by whispersinmyhead

I use an app called snake keeper and another called critter size for measuring with the iPhone. They work great. I only have the one snake. You can export but strangely can't port. It is free if you only have one snake.

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Who only has one snake, lol? :D

Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2

Low tech 4x6 index cards. I have name, price, date purchased from who etc. on back of card.

Name on front of card and abbreviation labels, example: F=fuzzy, W=weanlings....

I also put B=in blue, S=shed, C=crap :O .... and gram weights.

It's not much work but perfect to know when to handle and time between feedings. One card can hold 2 or more months of info.

I forgot to add off topic, I put metal office clip binders on handles of plastic bins to immediately know not to bother the snake regarding recent feeding, or in blue.

Every once and awhile, I unzip and just make sure they are accounted for.. Thats how I track em.

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Originally Posted by DrDooLittle

Who only has one snake, lol? :D

Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2

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I only have one for now;). I just got our first this year. Once we move and get settled in new careers I fear many more to follow an feed my new addiction.

Snake keepers is $1.99 or $2.99 to unlock multiple snakes.

i use excell but in the process of changing over to reptistat which is free
www.reptistat.com and still a work in progress

fiance keps her info in a otebook ( mainly it name s accross the top and then date alnog side and just checks off if they ate that week/date.

I don't really keep records anymore due to bouncing back and forth between upper and lower delaware. I just go by how the snakes feels when handle or who seems to make the most mess ( how often I am clean the tub)

Degei is still my favorite. It's had some bugs in the past, but support is good, and the latest version seems fine.
It does pretty much everything--track feed, shed, poop, notes, pictures, breeding, clutch labels, generate clutches (when they hatch), genealogy, cage card printouts, record printouts, tracks feeders and feeder costs, etc. My favorite is something surprisingly few of the newer programs seem to handle, which is giving you a printout sheet of everyone who's due for a feeding according the schedule you set up for them, and when they last ate. It's user-friendly, and setup is not horrible. (I hated trying to set up Metzcal, for example, and gave up on that after a short time).

I also use iHerp, for the lineage database, and so customers can have a nifty record with all the photos if they want it. (I also like having backup records there). iHerp has a ways to go to make it convenient for tracking collections beyond a few animals, though.

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Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion

Degei is still my favorite. It's had some bugs in the past, but support is good, and the latest version seems fine.
It does pretty much everything--track feed, shed, poop, notes, pictures, breeding, clutch labels, generate clutches (when they hatch), genealogy, cage card printouts, record printouts, tracks feeders and feeder costs, etc. My favorite is something surprisingly few of the newer programs seem to handle, which is giving you a printout sheet of everyone who's due for a feeding according the schedule you set up for them, and when they last ate. It's user-friendly, and setup is not horrible. (I hated trying to set up Metzcal, for example, and gave up on that after a short time).

I also use iHerp, for the lineage database, and so customers can have a nifty record with all the photos if they want it. (I also like having backup records there). iHerp has a ways to go to make it convenient for tracking collections beyond a few animals, though.

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I liked metzcal myself before i found HerperPRO but unfortunately they were not continuing with updates, But i never recommend degei to anyone cause of all the steps and patching required to install it, its very sketchy I think! I just fell in love with HerperPRO from day one, i think if everyone started using it would be great because the reptiles data can be sent from owner to the next and also all the sharing features it has for us breeders to help with selling our animals. I wish it was free but i understand they gotta make some money for all the hard work they do lol.

I "rescued" my first ever snake a while ago from a Petsmart that was willing to adopt her out since she was getting too big for them to take care of, and I requested a copy of their feeding schedule. I thought it was kind of nifty, so when I got home I scanned it and used photoshop to make a blank version, edited so that it was less of a business thing and more just to keep track.

https://38.media.tumblr.com/02b3940e...w5ko1_1280.png

I use "Date Arrived" to keep track of my snake's 'birthday', and location for what size/type of enclosure I'm keeping them in! I usually record things like length and weight in the big white divider (Though I really should make a spot for them for real :P)

They're really convenient because I only go through 9 sheets per year per snake, which saves me paper and ink! I haven't gone digital yet because there's just something about having a physical record that feels nicer to me.

Sorry about the large picture (if it shows up as big for you as it does for me in the preview)!

I only have one snake, so i just mark when things happen on my calendar. :P

I look down. lol (sorry, had to)

I record everything that's important with reptile scan

Since this is a two year old thread I'd like to ask if there are there any new programs that have come out recently that are just plain stupid easy to use? I gotta admit that I'm not very good at this. I've tried notebooks, various spreadsheets, index cards etc... and generally I just seem to quit using whatever it is I was using at the time because it's just too much time and trouble. I keep snakes for fun, and since I don't find record keeping fun if it's not a system that's ridiculously simple to use, I'll just quit using it.

I have snake keeper, don't 100% love the way it works but easy enough that I will update weekly feedings and weights on occasion. I only have four snakes though.

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Originally Posted by MarkS

Since this is a two year old thread I'd like to ask if there are there any new programs that have come out recently that are just plain stupid easy to use? I gotta admit that I'm not very good at this. I've tried notebooks, various spreadsheets, index cards etc... and generally I just seem to quit using whatever it is I was using at the time because it's just too much time and trouble. I keep snakes for fun, and since I don't find record keeping fun if it's not a system that's ridiculously simple to use, I'll just quit using it.

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If youre willing to by the app i highly reccomend reptile scan. A buddy and i just recently each bought it to keep track of our collections and if youre looking for stupid easy... its doesnt get stupider easier [emoji12]

Every recorded action you decide to imput is scanned from a qr barcode with your phone. I measured and record all my weights in a matter of a few seconds each

Each snake get its own profile. Its pretty cool. If u have iphone theres a 99cent trial version