Reptile & Amphibian Forums

How good do they need to be? I'm finding plenty within 10 grams.

Thanks,
Nisa

3.1 Ball python
1.1 Corns
0.0.1 GTP
0.1 kingsnake
and bunches of furry pets

First, I would have put this topic in the general forum or in health and feeding. I'd be interested in hearing from others, and I don't think this topic will receive much attention in this sub-forum.

Secondly, I'd make a distinction between "accuracy" and "precision." Most people treat these terms as if they have the same meaning, but in science and engineering, they are not the same. "Accuracy" deals with how close a measurement is to the real value. "Precision" deals with the number of significant figures in the result. The best way to illustrate this idea is with an example.

Let's say that you have a ball python that weighs 518 grams, and you measure that snake with two scales. One scale is very accurate but has a precision of only 10 grams. That scale will read 520 grams, and you'll know that the real weight is between 515 and 525 grams. The other scale is precise but not accurate. That scale may read 509.2 grams. That scale gives you a very tight number, but the number is wrong.

Unfortunately, most advertising is done by people who have marketing degrees and not engineering degrees. They don't know or care about the difference between these terms, and they will advertise an "accuracy" or a "precision" based on what they think will sell more scales and not on what the scale will really do.

I think a precision of ten grams would be good enough for weighing ball pythons. I've read on these forums that the weight changes that matter are those that represent about 5 to 10 percent of the snake's weight. By the time that a python has passed the hatchling stage, a 10 gram precision will catch these changes. I'd hope that accuracy would be much closer.

Bill
-----
It's not how many snakes you have. It's how happy and healthy you can keep them.

This recent discussion in the Indigo Forum should be helpful for you; it includes information on some reasonably-priced models, too.

forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1013925,1013925

If I were in the market for a first scale, I'd probably look closely at one of the MyWeigh 7000gram x 1g models.

>>How good do they need to be? I'm finding plenty within 10 grams.
>>
>>Thanks,
>>Nisa

Thanks. Much better than what I had been finding.