Procedure for Weighing Snakes

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Procedure for Weighing Snakes

Postby Westley Price » Mon Dec 12, 2011 10:45 am

I just searched the forum for any information regarding the weighing of snakes and realized there is none.

I would like to start monitoring the weight of my snakes, but I would like to find out how the rest of you guys do it.

I'm not too interested in the actual restraining of venomous snakes etc while weighing, but let's try to make this a one-stop topic for all procedures/protocols so please share any info/tips you might have.

What I am more interested in is your actual timing of the weighing. Just before a feed? After first defecation after meal?

Then how do you process the data? Do you plot the weight in MS Excel and plot a graph? etc.

Thanx and I look forward to the responses.
"I am dying by inches from not having anybody to talk to about insects." - Charles Darwin
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Re: Procedure for Weighing Snakes

Postby taiwanbeauty » Mon Dec 12, 2011 11:11 am

Hi I weigh my snakes on an electronic kombuis scale.
I only have non-VENOMOUS snakes so danger is no problem.
I weigh my snakes each time they shed.
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Re: Procedure for Weighing Snakes

Postby Westley Price » Mon Dec 12, 2011 12:08 pm

I guess weighing hatchlngs and juvies every time they shed should work as they usually skip a meal while in the blue and that ensure's you're actually weighing body mass.

With adult snakes it's not so great as they don't shed very often so I'd only have data once every few months.

I'd like to weigh on a fortnightly basis or even weekly, but I don't want to be weighing the feeders in their stomachs.
"I am dying by inches from not having anybody to talk to about insects." - Charles Darwin
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Re: Procedure for Weighing Snakes

Postby Bushviper » Mon Dec 12, 2011 12:13 pm

I know some people do it just before feeding but this is more applicable if you are feeding them outside their cages. I guess a chart or a graph would work just as well. It is also easier if you have less than 100 specimens to deal with. In that case it is easier to just weight females and possibly young males required for breeding.
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Re: Procedure for Weighing Snakes

Postby Constrictor Girl » Mon Jan 30, 2012 3:20 pm

Hello Wesley

I usually feed all my snakes outside their cages in feeding tubs so I use my digital kombuis scale to weigh them. As I have a number of the exact same tubs I set the scale with the empty tub on it so that the weight of the tub is not taken into consideration.
I also try and weigh the same date every month, for example the 25th, and I make sure they have not been fed within the week of the 25th so that I can feed on the 25th after weighing. I use this to plot my graph and I use the same one for growth and then at the end of the year I have one colour for weight gain and one colour for growth, I find it easier to have the info on one page so that you can compare the two and make sure everything is working as it should. :D
Then once they have either hit the 1.5m mark or 1.5kg mark I make a new page starting from 1.0 upwards.
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Re: Procedure for Weighing Snakes

Postby Westley Price » Tue Jan 31, 2012 7:25 am

Thanx CG
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