Record keeping

[Guggie]

Ever since I got my two Greek tortoises in April, I have been looking into how to best keep track of their weight and length. I could think of several ways.



1. Paper and pen. Pros: Easy. Cons: Have to be able to find the paper & pen week after week. (I’m not that organized)

2. Spreadsheet. Pros: Flexible. Cons: Have to have a PC nearby when measuring, or need to use the paper & pen method and transfer the data.

3. Phone (I have an iPhone). Pros: Always accessible. Cons: How to do it? It has to be done using phone’s keyboard (tedious), no good spreadsheet app (Google Apps is the best I found), etc.



What I’m wondering is, how do you all keep track? I have found a solution (see below), but I’m very curious if something better is out there.

The solution I found was using an app called TapForms on my iPhone. <Note: I have nothing to do with this app. I’m just a user> TapForms allows you to create custom forms on your phone, which you can use to gather information. It can then send the info to you using email in CSV format. Data entry is done using easy-to-use keypads, and things like notes and pics can be stored as well. Some screenshots are below.



1. Main screen


2. Forms selection


3. Form list screen


4. Form detail screen


4. Data entry (number)


5. Export (grid)

I’m just curious what you all think. Can you think of other items that I should be keeping track of? Are there better ways to go about this? The issues I see with this method are that there’s no data analysis built into the app (no graphing, trends, not even a spreadsheet view other than looking at the extracted CSV file); it did cost me money ($8? There’s a free version but only up to a certain # of records), and as far as I can tell images are not included In the export, but overall I’m pretty happy with it. I email it to myself once a week so that I don’t lose anything; if I need to analyze the info, I can just open the extract in Excel.

 

[DixieParadise]

I think Cujo is a beast...with that weight gain every other day.

Oh the App, it seems to be able to do what you want it to. I will have to look into it. I am the old paper, pen..transcribe back to my computer.

 

[Fernando]

Neat app!

 

[wrmitchell22]

I haven't weighed Boulder, but I have taken pics of him next to my hand and one next to a tape measure, thats the only way I have done it so far. I think I may get an Excel sheet going soon

 

[jeffbens0n]

What form did you start with in tap forms?

 

[Guggie]

What form did you start with in tap forms?

Blank. It's really easy to use.

 

[jaizei]

I just take a picture of them on the scale.

 

[dmarcus]

I will have to see if that's available on the ipod touch..

 

[Fernando]

I'll check my iPad. If it's not available for the iPad, it will still allow me to use it as an app for the iPhone.

 

[bikerchicspain]

Brilliant if you can afford an iphone, they are very expensive here in spain, Other half has an Ipad but i hate it.
I keep track in a little note book..

 

[Guggie]

Brilliant if you can afford an iphone, they are very expensive here in spain, Other half has an Ipad but i hate it.
I keep track in a little note book..

Don't want an iPad - no real interest - but LOOOVE me my iPhone.

---

I just take a picture of them on the scale.

That's actually one of those <facepalm> ideas - it's a really good idea.

 

[kimber_lee_314]

Being a teacher, I use a grade book! I have a lot of shelled friends so it's a quick, easy way to keep track of their weight. I can see several months at a time to keep an eye on anyone who is losing too much weight (or not gaining enough.)

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

I just use an Excel spreadsheet. I just plunk my laptop down next to me on the floor, measure the weight and length of the tortoises, and then just type it in. Pretty easy, I think.

 

[Yvonne G]

When I'm doing a very small tortoise I trace their outline on a piece of blank paper. I use the same paper and outline until the tortoise gets bigger than the paper, putting the date inside the traced line. When they get bigger than the paper I go to EXCEL.

I keep track of the tortoise's name, type, sex and hatch date at the top, then

date
weight
SCL measurement
distance btwn anal scutes

On this same sheet I will also keep track of anything that happens to the tortoise...eggs, breeding, accident, etc.

I take some new pictures once a year to include with this record. Top, plastron, full face and any anomalies they might have. I always try to have something recognizable as mine in the picture so that I can prove the tortoise belongs to me if I ever have to.

I don't keep this in the computer. Its in a binder.

 

[SILVERSTAR]

Every one of my torts has its own composition notebook with its name on the front ,i choose to do it like this so in case you need to look back on health problem such as log down when one has gal stone ect,i keep them with there own notebook so that if for wut ever reason the tort ends up with someone else the notebook goes with it to help it out cuz they live longer than us sometimes and i use composition note books cuz they are a pretty durable notebook and i like em used em in school,im sure theres better ways to do it but if you got alotta torts they all need weight and growth logged to make sure thgere healthy and not losing any ya kno..........!

 

[Fernando]

I like the above application because it's portable and you can do all of the above. I'll check if Android offers anything like this

 

[jaizei]

I should also add that about once a month I'll take pictures of them on top of gridded paper, for a better size reference.

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

I just take a picture of them on the scale.

I do this too! I take a pic every week of my baby on the scale with my phone and the phone records the date. I also keep an excel spread of all the foods that I alternate and when. I used to keep temp & humidity records but it became too redundant.

 

[dmmj]

I don't keep this in the computer. Its in a binder.

What's a binder?

 

[HLogic]

Excel until I get a front-end app for the SQL Server database I've designed for maintaining specimen metrics, activity, notes, photos, incubation, etc. Manually accessing the db is too much of a pain but then so is writing the app...