keeping records

[Yvonne G]

I like to have a current picture of each turtle/tortoise along with a yearly weight and measurement, in a file. I'm not always the best at getting around to it, though.

I get several phone calls a month from folks wondering if I take in volunteers. I always say no that its just a one man operation and there's not enough work for a volunteer. But a few days ago a woman called asking if her son could volunteer, and the light bulb went off over my head. Its been over a year since I took pictures and weighed everyone. So I told her yes, that I had a one day job that a kid could help me with.

I met with DJ last Saturday and took him around to all the pens. As it turns out, he is a photography freak and loves to take pictures. So next Saturday he's coming to help me do just that! He's about 16 years old, and bigger than me. I'm hoping that between the two of us we can lift Dudley and the two Aldabrans and get a current weight on them.

Now if it doesn't rain...

 

[Jacqui]

That sounds like it will be a wonderful experience for both you and the young man who is going to help. Then there is the side benefit of getting those records updated. I know I always intend well, but never can keep my paperwork up.

 

[cdmay]

Keeping records is important and over time creates an interesting history for each animal involved.
I used to keep very detailed records of each animal I kept, every clutch of eggs and so forth. But like most people I would sometimes lapse and forget to update my records or worse, not even bother with them for a while. That is a mistake.
Since I hatched that egg with the triplet (and was so very glad that I had measured the clutch of eggs they came from!) cherryheads I have become much more diligent about record keeping again.

 

[pdrobber]

that sounds great! He is a lucky guy!

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

I agree that he is a lucky guy!! I hope we get to see some of the pictures!!

 

[Tccarolina]

I keep weights, length, width, width at the rear flare, and height. I measure yearly til growth has stopped. I weigh monthly or biweekly depending on time of year during the active season.
I record nesting activity and where it occurred, who breeds with who (if I observe it), nest dates, fertility rate, hatch rate, and photograph each hatchling before it leaves me, and save it to it's mother's file. I also record when a turtle /tortoise was sick, what I treated them with, etc.
I even bought a weather proof USB temperature data logger so I could record the constant temperature underground where my turtles nest, just in case I miss one. I learned it definitely gets too hot, for EBT nests, and I better not miss any!

I don't really know why. Maybe it makes me feel like a field researcher.
Maybe I'm just obsessed!

Steve

 

[Neal]

One word of advice...I assume you are going to keep your records electronically? Be sure to back your records up each time you update them. I was keeping detailed records, weights, lengths, age, pictures, etc all in excel....for over two years...went to do an update and I couldn't find the file anywhere. I downloaded software that searches for missing files, that turned up nothing. So now I have no detailed info. on my torts, and it really was a motivation buster for me.

 

[Yvonne G]

No, I actually have a hard copy form that I fill in with the info and keep in a 4-drawer file cabinet. I have one foot in the electronic age, but I just find it hard to let go of the paper files.

 

[Tccarolina]

I keep all but the pics in excel. But I keep my computer backed up to two separate hard drives. The photos are double backed up as well, and sorted in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.
Excellent point though Neil, I've been there in the past!
I don't keep a hard copy of anything.
Steve

 

[Yvonne G]

Whew! What a job. And DJ was a very interesting and helpful volunteer. He's 16 years old, an honor student and wants to join some national honors organization, so the more volunteer work he gets under his belt, the better his resume looks. He wants to do something in the marine biology field, and is going to go to college in San Diego.

You're all not going to believe this:

My Aldabran tortoises - Bo (the Bigger One) weighs 148.8lbs and is 32 1/2 inches SCL. BUT SO (the Smaller One) weighs in at 187lbs and is 31 inches. Eleven years old and almost 200lbs!!! What a beast!

My two leopard females surprised me quite a bit. The one I'm taking care of for my friend from the zoo weighs 30.lbs, and Cincinatti weighs 27lbs.

I guess Dudley has stopped growing. He's not going to be a giant. He weighs 108lbs. Last year he weighed 103lbs.

DJ took the pictures with his camera, so he's going to put them on a "flash drive???" and bring it to me later on. I don't know from flash drives, but I guess it would plug into my antique, huh? So I'll show you all some of the pictures maybe tomorrow, or whenever I get them sorted out.

 

[pdrobber]

wow that's so cool!

You guys lifted them all?!

yes the flash drive can go into one of your USB ports. excited to see pictures

 

[jackrat]

Pictures!

 

[Jacqui]

Sounds like it all went well. Did they "enjoy" getting weighed?

 

[Maggie Cummings]

OMG! I can't believe that about Bo and So. I just saw them a few months ago and do know that they are large. But almost 200 pounds? Wow! Gonna have to change her name to BIGO..Bigger One. Do you mind telling just how you weighed them? How did you lift them? I don't remember about your scale...

 

[Yvonne G]

I have a digital scale that is about 15" square. We set a 5 gallon bucket on the scale then "high center" the tortoise on the bucket. DJ and I were able to lift Dudley and Bo, but we couldn't budge So. But we lucked out and my across-the-street neighbor dropped by and he and DJ were able to lift So onto the bucket.

I wish I'd had the foresight to get pictures of the big tortoises on the bucket, but I was so intent on reading the scale readout that I didn't even think about it.

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

Oh wow, it sound's like you got a lot accomplished! I cannot wait to see pictures! Was he amazed by the tortoises? Did you only record the tort's weight or did you do all your animal's?

 

[Yvonne G]

When DJ came over to have a look around the week before, he was interested, but just so-so. But after our day of hefting, picturing, cleaning, etc. he was much impressed and told me if I EVER needed an extra set of arms to do a chore to please call him. He really enjoyed himself.

We only did tortoises. I didn't do the box turtles because most of them are up for adoption and they come and go too often (but now on thinking of it, I probably should have done the Easterns, ornates, Floridas, westerns and gulf coasts. Because there are so many 3 toes, I always just think of them). I didn't do the desert tortoises because they're full grown and each year's weight, measurement and picture looks almost exactly like the year before.

And April (the horse) had a hard time balancing on the bucket so we gave her a pass.