Questions about record keeping....

[Sojourn]

Hello!
I was just wondering how everyone keeps a day to day track of their boas. Right now my wife and I are using note pads :P, and at this point now, with ten boas, we have decided to try and find a better way :).

Does anyone out there know of any GOOD snake tracking database programs?

Thanks,

......Jesse

[Minus_1]

8) Just rig up a grid with your paintshop... either print it out or keep it saved to a disk or something and make your entries.. it'd take about 10 minutes..

[Sojourn]

:)Thanks!

Sounds like a good idea to replace the notepad for now... But eventually(soon) I would like to have something much more in depth and interactive... We found a few on the internet, but they were ALL :P! There's an ad in Reptile Magazine for one that's seems close to what we are looking for, and is free for 30 days, but it costs WAY TOO MUCH to register it after that >:(!

Oh well :-/.... My wife is about to graduate school with a degree in computer programming ;D. Maybe she could create something.....Hmmmmmm cwm11.gif....

[rottie]

I am going to start building an access database for snake records. If people here could put in what they would suggest to have in the database I would add them in the share the database with everyone.

rottie

[Minus_1]

8)Ah, I see what you mean.. Im real 'low-tech' so I can push a pencil... that's 'bout it...I don't know any progs. or how to go about making one, but I'll keep my eyez open

[Linda]

I used to keep track of my boas on the computer. It worked really well till the computer got a virus and my hubby wiped the hard drive and all my info. He thought I backed up my info and I thought he did. :o Anyway I had to start over. I like the notebook method. I do keep a computer file as well, but I only up date it once a month. I up date my notebook daily, so it's much more detailed. So far the notebook method works best for me. :D
Linda :)

[surfimp]

Hey now! Finally a topic that I actually know something about! LOL!

I work as a web developer and I can tell you that it really wouldn't be much trouble at all to build to build a little web-based system to keep track of snake records. I am not sure if there's any real advantage to keeping records in this way for individuals keeping a small number of snakes, but for breeders it could be really cool...you could simply login to your record-keeping administration tool and make updates as to when you'd fed each snake, when it had pooped, when it had shed, and how long the snake was and how much it weighed, and whatever else really that you wanted to keep track of. The admin tool would also, of course, require that you be able to add, delete, and edit the snakes that you were keeping records on. You could even set it up so that you supplied the URL of an image of the snake, and that image would be displayed on the "detail" page for that snake.

What would be great about this system is that you could then tie that information into your main website where you sold the snakes. Prospective buyers could access the information so that they could see "up to the minute" information about the snake that they were considering purchasing (assuming the info was kept updated, of course!).

It could even be done in such a manner that it would run off of a flat file (store as comma separated values or similar) and would not require that you paid your web host for database service, which means that as long as you had a host that supported Perl or PHP or whatever the thing was coded in, you'd be set.

Of course, all of the above would require that you have a web hosting provider that supported whatever scripting program the snake tracking tool was written in. It probably wouldn't be as useful for owners of single animals who just wanted something better than notepads to keep track of their animals with. But the upside, for breeders at least, is that it would give them a more streamlined way of keeping information about their snakes for sale updated.

[Bill]

Go to the link below. Its free and efficent.
Bill




http://www.compasscomputers.net/boa-cam/db.html

[surfimp]

SO that's the snake database program I'd seen before! That thing is awesome, Bill! Good job!

I haven't fiddled with it too much, but I'm inferring from the fact that you can generate HTML queries that this could be used on a website, as well? Pretty sweet!

I for one have downloaded it and will be using it for my new baby, due to arrive at any moment, from the illustrious Professor Ronne.

Thanks for providing an awesome piece of software!

[Bill]

Don't thank me it was built by a friend of mine. His name is Brian. That is his web site. Next time you go there send him an e-mail saying thanks. He will appriciate that.

Bill

[surfimp]

Roger that, will do so. Thanks for providing the link, all the same :)

[Sojourn]

Thanx all :)... Sounds like some good ideas. We definately appreciate it...

[cb76]

when keeping records i keep track of, sheds/ growths, defecations, feeding- what, how, how much it weighed, any thing else in particular that happened.

i tried the tracker out- i could not get it to work- i have that other cd that you can try free for what ever time it said- i couldnt figure out how to work it.

that one had hobby info on it that was not correct.
i am trying to get a friend to do one up with proper info on it- and user friendly!

but until then i use sheets that i made up with word, and i use index cards. all of my snakes have their own books that i save everything on!

[Sojourn]

We had the same luck with the tracker out, and the one you gotta register to keep on its way in the mail here(but the price to register is :P)...Please let us know what your friend comes up with, we are very interested, Thanx ;)....

[smiley]

i've always used a regular calendar - easy and quick to "see" how longs it's been since last feeding, shed, etc....

[Sojourn]

"The Boa Keeper", designed by my wife and I, and made a reality by her, will be unveiled within the next few months... You will be able to download it directly from our website

www.foreverboas.com

which will also be unveiled at that time...

It wil cover EVERYTHING we could possibly think of as far as keeping records on your boas(except for breeding, because we have ZERO experience with that right now). And will be VERY user friendly, and much better and do more than you would expect from something of its nature...

No details given for now... Patience all... Perfection takes time(LOL).... We hope you like it....

Jesse & Angelia Van Atta

[Doug]

Hi,
 well I am embarassed to say I own that expensive software for tracking them herps, But I finally went back to the tried but true 3/5 cards. I keep them in a box next to my PC ( with the expensive software)...
  I save the cards once full and if you recieve any of my
reptiles you'll get the set of cards for that herp.note.  if you write small you can get about 6 mos on a card..  hehehe,
 I have neat codes   real scientific,,,,
  t/r/p   thawed rat pup
  t/s/r    thawed small rat
 t/l/r      yawn  cwm13.gifare you keeping up ? thawed large rat
 po/2/02/02  the poop feb02/02
 sd/2/02/02  ok thats enough fun shed 2/02/02
so my cards are all together with the herps name/dob/sex  on the top one card one snake all in one cardex box   ( I stole the idea from CLay when I recieved a baby Hog..  and the history follows  this has helped me to stop trying to feed early, I hadn't realized that unitl I tracked every thing..  cwm15.gif
  The card are real cheap an are easy to file...some even come with nice lines already on them I usally put about three rows of dates per card side.
  Doug cwm4.gif

[Panama_Red]

I don't know guys it sound like a lot of details to remember going back and forth from where your snakes are kept to your computer you would have to write it all on a clipboard with pages for each snake, Now there is an idea!

[Sojourn]

Each to his own b30.gif, but I must say that there will be SOOOO much more to it than that..... Besides... that's what laptops are handy for, although not necessary. And after seeing what it can do, you might sing a different tune s35.gif. For buyers, sellers, breeders, or basic hobbyists... And VERY user friendly(for computer boobs like me :-X).... but no more details for now..... The world will know when it is ready. s9.gif

Jesse

[Jonathan_Brady]

i just use a microsoft excel spreadsheet. it's real simple.
i have the first column for the action (fed, pooped, shed, measured, weighed, etc...), the next column is for the date that the action happened, and the third column is for notes like how many or what size animal they fed on or whether the shed was perfect, or if the stool was runny, how long the snake is or how much it weights, etc... at the top of the whole thing, i have the snakes name, birth date, acquistion date, size when received and current feeding regimen. only thing is, i'm reeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaal bad about keeping things backed up on disk, so if my pc ever dies, i'll lose the records. but, i do like keeping them on excel because most people have excel on their pc and i can just email the records to them as an attachment or i can print them out and send them in the box with the snake.
i dunno, just an idea others might like to try b27.gif

[Red]

This is funny I just replyed to somone on clays site about this same thing...
A three ring binder with lot's of paper could last a boa it's hole life... That is like 30-40 years... You only need one for each snake and it is real easy.. I have little rack's I made to put them in... I keep them hooked right to the cage... I have never had a paper crash and lost my info... never confused one snake for another.. In fact the only problem is that somtimes I forget to wright in it for week's at a time..
That is my way of doing thing's..
But if you would realy like to use a computer.. This would make a good computer method just use excel and just put across the top the different thing's that you would like to track like shedd's, poo's, feeding's, weight and may-be a missalanous..
At this point you have every thing that you need...
Just list the name of the snake down one side and fill in the blank's... The lil' box's will get bigger as you need them to..
Eric aka...Red

[Sojourn]

s3.gif

There is a big diff between just keeping records and being able to LEARN from them over the long run. cwm15.gif

I know there are people out there who know what I'm talking about. But, like I said, to each his own. b27.gif

Can anyone say paradigm? ???