Walk through the routine together
Choose someone able to carry out the care your animal needs, and go through the actual enclosure and supplies with them before you leave. Explain which animal each instruction concerns and demonstrate the routine you already follow.
LICG’s advice for owners leaving animals at home recommends written care information and, for reptiles, a sitter with relevant knowledge. Use species-appropriate advice and any instructions from your veterinarian when preparing the routine; a generic handover does not set feeding or treatment requirements.
Separate instructions from recent history
Keep “what to do” and “what has happened” visibly distinct. A last accepted meal is a past observation. A planned task is an instruction that still needs to be carried out. The latest feeding offer may have been refused, so it should not silently become the last meal date.
Make sure the sitter can reach the owner, the agreed backup person and the relevant veterinary practice. Check those details together. Agree how to communicate concerns and who can make decisions if you cannot be reached.
A filled example to discuss before leaving
This is a fictional handover for Nori, reviewed on 13 November 2026. The dates illustrate communication, not a care schedule. The real routine must be agreed separately for the animal.
| Topic | Information shared | Check together |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Nori · corn snake · enclosure A | The sitter can identify the same animal and enclosure. |
| Feeding history | 5 November: one thawed mouse accepted. 12 November: an offer refused. | The last accepted meal is 5 November, not 12 November. |
| Measurement | 8 November: 420 g, container tared. No later weight recorded. | No later value is inferred. |
| Shedding observation | 10 November: skin found in the enclosure; exact event time unknown. | The discovery date is not an exact shedding time. |
| Instructions and contacts | Owner and sitter have reviewed the individual routine and checked contact details together. | The sitter knows where the agreed instructions and contacts are kept. |
Agree how the sitter will record observations
Ask the sitter to use the animal’s name, the observation date and a short factual description. When something was not observed, an explicit “not confirmed” is more useful than a confident guess. Agree where those notes will be kept and how you will receive them.
For example: “14 November 2026, Nori: routine check carried out; no feeding event observed or recorded.” That note does not claim a meal happened. An unclear instruction should be clarified with the owner or agreed backup person, not filled in from a generic online schedule.
Use the animal’s history during the conversation
Open the animal’s record and review the last accepted meal, later refusals, existing measurements and relevant notes with the sitter. Explain what is missing as well as what is present. Arrange a way for the sitter to retain the agreed instructions independently of access to your phone.
SquamaTracker organises the observations you enter. This guide does not promise a shared sitter account, remote access, live synchronisation or automatic delivery of instructions. Its current interface is French or English; you can keep your own notes in the language you use.
Find accepted and refused meals →Keep a readable weight history →See the app’s current scope →Review the notes when you return
Read the sitter’s observations together and preserve their source. An event reported by the sitter is not something you witnessed yourself. Confirm unclear dates before adding them to the animal’s history, and check whether an event is already recorded.
If an animal’s condition causes concern during the absence, the sitter should use the agreed contact and veterinary arrangements. Do not wait for the owner’s return or for a complete set of notes before seeking appropriate help.
Prepare information for a vet visit →Keep feeding entries understandable →Frequently asked questions
Can the sitter use this guide without SquamaTracker?
Yes. The handover is a conversation supported by clear written information. You can use an existing notebook or another readable record.
Should I give every reptile the same routine?
No. The handover should reflect the individual animals and the care instructions already agreed for them. This guide provides no universal feeding or treatment schedule.
Does SquamaTracker give the sitter live access?
This guide does not promise shared accounts or remote access. Agree separately how the sitter will receive instructions and return their observations.
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