Your first useful record: a short checklist
Choose one animal and one observation you can confirm. A useful starting record contains an identity, a date and what happened. You can add older information later when you have a reliable source for it.
| Step | Do this | You are ready when… |
|---|---|---|
| Identify | Create or choose the animal’s own profile. | You can distinguish it from the other animals in your records. |
| Observe | Choose a meal, shed or measurement that actually happened. | You can explain what you saw or measured. |
| Date | Use the event or observation date and state uncertainty if needed. | A later reader can tell when the note applies. |
| Save and review | Read the saved entry in the animal’s history. | The identity, date, outcome and units match your observation. |
| Continue | Add the next confirmed observation when it happens. | New entries build on the history instead of replacing it. |
1. Make the animal easy to identify
Use a name or reference you can recognise consistently. If several animals look similar, make sure your reference distinguishes them before you start entering meals or measurements.
Add the species and the background information you actually know. Keep information supplied by a previous keeper distinguishable from your own observations. If a birth date or part of the history is unknown, do not invent a precise date to make the profile look complete.
Ask for the history before an animal arrives →2. Start from a reliable point
Choose today’s observation or a past event you can verify from your notes. There is no need to fill every gap in an old history before beginning a better record.
If you are moving information from paper, an erasable board or a photo, check each date and animal reference as you go. Preserve uncertain details in a note and label them as uncertain.
Work through older paper records →3. Use a repeatable entry pattern
A small amount of consistent information is easier to use than a large collection of uneven notes. Keep the event date, what happened and the relevant context together.
For meals, separate the food offered from the outcome. For a measurement, check the value and unit. For a shedding observation, describe what you saw instead of assuming the entry proves that everything was normal.
- Which animal?
- When did the event happen?
- What did you actually observe or measure?
- What context or uncertainty should remain visible?
4. Review the history before adding more
A brief check can prevent an entry going on the wrong animal or being recorded twice. Read the last relevant event and then add the new one.
If an older note turns out to be wrong, check what correction options your installed version provides. Do not hide the problem by adding a second entry that looks like a separate event. Keep the original evidence where it matters.
5. Keep a separate backup habit
A record is useful only if you can still access it. Check the backup options, permissions and account on your device before replacing a phone or removing the app.
A PDF you can read is not automatically a file you can import to restore an app. Likewise, an Apple backup and an Android backup are not a promise of cross-platform synchronisation. Check the support information for the version you use.
Read the app support notes →Try the approach with your first three animals
SquamaTracker’s free plan currently lets you start with up to three animals. Keep meals, sheds, measurements, notes and photos together, then decide whether the additional Premium tools suit your collection.
The app offers French and English. It opens in French initially; choose English in Réglages → Langue.
Frequently asked questions
What if I do not know the full history?
Start with what you can verify. Keep missing or uncertain information visible rather than inventing dates or events.
Do I need to write long notes?
No. A consistent date, event and brief context can be enough for a useful record. Add detail when it helps explain the observation.
Sources & product details
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Make your next entry count.
The app offers French and English and opens in French first. Choose English in Réglages → Langue. Some text may remain in French. Language help
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