i use a system (and imput it into excel) where i start with the overall # (starting over every year), the year, then m/f, then the genetic ID.. and the genetic ID can be whatever abbreviations you like best.
SO.. lets say i have:
2010
2010 pastel het ghost female : 1-10F-Ps.Gh
2010 Spider male: 2-10M-Sp
2011
2011 Piebald female: 1-11F-Pie
2011 Pastel Het Clown Male: 2-11M-Ps.Cl
i like this system best because you can keep track of clutches and just use the overall # and know which snakes came in which clutch etc.
ex: say i have a clutch and and i want to know which snakes came in it i can look at the record and see snakes 43-51 came in that clutch then i can look up their records