How much do you put into your record keeping?

[tortadise]

I know for most zoos and large collections of tortoises or even any animal, record keeping is a large percentage of the keeping of the animal. I would like to know how much you guys put into your personal keeping? Even single animal ownership, enthusiast, large collectors, extreme conservationist. Would you use a data base system to keep your records of your animal(s) if it was available and user friendly?

annnnnnnnd discuss.

 

[Benjamin]

Quick answer...not nearly as much as I should. I record all of my incubation data in a notebook. I find it to be user friendly.

 

[tortadise]

What im getting at. Is i too use a book. But lately too many specimens are tying me up in hand writing these records of incubation and even medical. Would you use a drop style user friendly program kinda like the ISIS studbook system, but with more availability in a broader scope. Like more on medical and general history or daily activities of each animal if it were that easy?

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More like a scientific journal for animals for anyone.

 

[WillTort2]

I use a excel spread sheet to keep my torts data. I weigh them approx once a month and measure approx once a qtr. I also note changes in behavior, changes I've made to their tables, lighting, etc.

A good data base program would be helpful with a checklist of things to observe and measure and capacity to put in photos also.

Some thing that could be emailed to a vet or carried on a thumb drive would be nice. Graphs showing growth, etc.

Good luck.

 

[tortadise]

I use a excel spread sheet to keep my torts data. I weigh them approx once a month and measure approx once a qtr. I also note changes in behavior, changes I've made to their tables, lighting, etc.

A good data base program would be helpful with a checklist of things to observe and measure and capacity to put in photos also.

Some thing that could be emailed to a vet or carried on a thumb drive would be nice. Graphs showing growth, etc.

Good luck.

Precisely a main directive for my initial quandary. The better records could be kept by even an individual the more pronounced the use of data could benefit. I think common practice in good record keeping is a great asset when dealing with even just a single tortoise or animal. It could be so helpful in the event of vets needing good background, or even selling an animal to someone. Kinda like a public or private record keeping that could pronounce a history on an animal. After all the studbook is to purify and keep genetics pure and genuine. Well what happens over time if a "common" species turns extremely endangered and we have no utilization to apply genetic diversity. Even non endangered animals it would be nice to utilize a data base system to even ensure not to cross breed genetics or prior history with congenital issues. I just feel a good record system should be applied in general. There is so many aspects of benefit than negatives not to do it.

 

[Yvonne G]

I have all my tortoises on an EXCEL spread sheet. Once a year I weigh and measure each tortoise and take a picture of them for the file. I have the tortoise's name, hatch date at the top, then each year I have the weight, SCL measurement, Carapace curve measurement, anal scute measurement and there's a space for any narrative, for example Susy Q laid 45 eggs and the date.

Last year I had a phone call from a mother wanting to know if I had any work for a volunteer. I lucked out in that this 16 year old boy was a photography student. He helped me with my annual record-keeping.

Just a note for everyone in case you ever have a lost tortoise. You should always have a current picture of your tortoise on hand. It helps to have a readily identifiable landmark in the picture, even your child, to prove this is your tortoise.

 

[Tortus]

I have one tortoise so far, and I measure, weigh, and photograph once a month. Well, I take other pictures too, but always photograph during the monthly weigh-in.

I admit I'm mainly doing this for my benefit. To see how it's growing and to have something to reflect on. Since all tortoises seem to grow at different rates, depending on many factors including genetics, I don't think my data is worth much on a scientific level. It's just how my particular tortoise is doing.

 

[Jacqui]

Something sorta like this:

http://iherp.com/Welcome.aspx

 

[abclements]

I'm a little overzealous I think. I weigh and measure my 7 month old Cherry every Tuesday Morning. I get the old calipers out that measure down to the 1000th of an inch and measure away. Same with my scale that measures in 10ths of grams. I plug it all into an excel spreadsheet that calculates his growth (length and weight) in that week, his total growth (L&W), his average weekly growth (L&W), his Tort BMI (found in the tortoise library), and his projected L&W for next week. Probably a little overzealous like I said earlier, but I like to keep tabs on his growth and graph it every week.

 

[TortoiseWorld]

For a new tortoise in your care or one that is recovering from illness, a daily weight record can help you know if things are going well or not. For the other tortoises you own, a monthly weight record can alert you to a problem with a particular tortoise in the group.
Even if you only own one tortoise a sudden and dramatic loss of weight can alert you to take early actions (increasing heat, humidity, soakings) to stop a problem before it get's worse. Get a journal book and record their weights, it could save your tortoises life. Next to each weight leave a little space for notes, like if you noticed something about the tortoise, like, tears, wheezing, diarrhea, mucus, inactivity, not eating, not pooping or anything odd. This way the next time you weight him you won't forget what you observed and can quickly view progress. Professional conservationists use specially designed computer software to enter the tracking data. http://www.aza.org/animal-data-and-records-software/

 

[tortadise]

For a new tortoise in your care or one that is recovering from illness, a daily weight record can help you know if things are going well or not. For the other tortoises you own, a monthly weight record can alert you to a problem with a particular tortoise in the group.
Even if you only own one tortoise a sudden and dramatic loss of weight can alert you to take early actions (increasing heat, humidity, soakings) to stop a problem before it get's worse. Get a journal book and record their weights, it could save your tortoises life. Next to each weight leave a little space for notes, like if you noticed something about the tortoise, like, tears, wheezing, diarrhea, mucus, inactivity, not eating, not pooping or anything odd. This way the next time you weight him you won't forget what you observed and can quickly view progress. Professional conservationists use specially designed computer software to enter the tracking data. http://www.aza.org/animal-data-and-records-software/

Agreed. I think its a great thing. The ISIS program AZA offers is pretty complex. I was thinking of developing a private sector side user friendly easy access record system. It could be an asset on a single sick animal or multiple breeder animals. Or even just tracking growth. It seems most people have their own techniques that work. But i think a easy usable system would benefit me and many others. Just throwing the idea out.

 

[Redstrike]

I keep a notebook and record what the tortoises receive for food, supplements, and soaks every day. I also take notes on any aberrant behaviors or concerns. The notes establish a baseline for overall health and I often refer to them if I'm considering a vet visit. They help when I get there too. Once/month I take SCL and weight measurements and calculate a BMI for each of my 4, this all goes in the notebook as well. As a biologist, I like to record data and put it into spreadsheets and stats programs to look for trends and correlations. I like to keep it within reason though, this is a hobby and should remain enjoyable, not looking to make it a science, though I will use science to evaluate and improve my husbandry if necessary.

I find daily food, supplements received, soaks, and general notes don't detract from my time or my enjoyment of my pets. What I look forward to most is taking them outside and interacting with them, the enjoyment is difficult to articulate.

 

[BodaTort1]

I am so happy to see I am not as crazy my family thinks I am . I am keeping a notebook on my torties. I keep track of my 8 rescues weights and lengths every month. My notebook is seperated into sections by tabs. I have tabs for approp foods, landscaping-non toxic plants, websites with great info on my different species of torts, tabs for which stores carry tort supplies and usual price, individual tabs for detail info for each tort, section for vet info from appts, tab for websites that have great inventory of tortie supplies, and a tab for medical/medicines. I would love to find an app that would work for this type of recording but so far I haven't so I will keep my notebook and wait until someone from here designs one.🐢

 

[DesertGrandma]

Yeah, having an app for that would be great. Maybe there is one, just for another type of pet???? My record keeping is minimal and I have just a record of age,length and weight for each one on a spreadsheet with a bit of other information that I find important. Of course there are the "favs" on my computer for research, buying, etc. Some day I will be recording eggs, hatch dates, and such.