Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, I am looking to buy a Digital Scale, so I can start recording their weights, since some are growing faster than others. All I keep is Hondurans, I have 24 of them. I would like to know which is the best and about how much they cost and from where I can get them.

Thanks in advance
Tom Sierra

>>Hi, I am looking to buy a Digital Scale, so I can start recording their weights, since some are growing faster than others. All I keep is Hondurans, I have 24 of them. I would like to know which is the best and about how much they cost and from where I can get them.
>>
>>Thanks in advance
>>Tom Sierra

HI TOM,

I don't know a "best brand" but office supply stores like staples and office depot sell them, and i got mine at a food services supply store. They can be gotten under $100. I recommend one with a good platform on top, big enough to hold a shoebox that you can zero out, and put the snake you're weighing in. Just make sure the scale has a capacity that exceeds the max weight of the species youi'd be weighing. Some of my bigger hondo females are around a kilogram--about 2.2 pounds. I prefer one powered by ac rather than relying on batteries that run out. Other than that the only options for you to consider are legibility of the display, stuff like that.

terry
albino tricolors

I have a Tanita KD200 series scale that I bought online that I really like. It is accurate to the nearest 2g and very precise based on tests I have done with it. It is sturdy and easy to keep clean and the weighing platform is large enough to balance a 5 gallon bucket on (important when weighing active milksnakes!).

There is a pic of mine

and here is a site with good prices and the specs -
http://www.balances.com/tanita/kd200.html.

When buying a digital scale, you should consider what you are weighing. You need a different scale for monitoring the mass of your Blood Pythons versus your sandboas. For a Honduran, a large adult would probably weigh between 1000 and 1200 grams, so you would need a scale that is capable of measuring at least 2kg. Remember you will be weighing your snakes in some sort of container so you have to make sure your container plus snake weight doesn't exceed to scale's capacity. Most scales are described with the max mass followed by the gradations that can be measured, such as 1000g x 1g, which means a scale with a max of one kg that can measure to the nearest gram.

Be aware that some cheap scales offer "digits" beyond their resolution, meaning a scale that is only accurate to the nearest 5 grams will have a readout to the nearest 0.1 gram to imply that it is more precise than it really is.

Many people try to buy too much scale by thinking they are better off with a scale that measures to the nearest gram or 0.1 gram. When you consider a gram is the mass of a standard paper clip, who cares if you have your snakes mass accurate to the nearest gram? If it drinks some water prior to weighing it would change its mass! My Tanita scale measures accurately to the nearest 2 grams. That is precise enough for weighing most things I need to weigh and for me to see changes in mass over time.

Things I would look for -
- large removeable weighing platform (mine has a metal one) that removes for easy cleaning
- AC adapter (batteries are a pain)
- easy to see readout in grams or ounces
- tare function
- appropriate range (2000g x 2g is good for most colubrids)
- easy to clean/wipe off (some snakes don't enjoy being weighed!). Most food scales can tolerate being "splashed", postal scales cannot.

-----
Chris Harrison

...he was beginning to realize he was the creature of a god that appreciated the discomfort of his worshippers - W. Somerset Maugham

Go to ebay and search in the shipping supplies section. I picked up a My Weigh 6001T, new, shipped, for about $35. The lower model, 3001 is sold in the classifieds of KS for a higher price. While I prefer to do business with herpers and herp businesses, they were not competitive. Email me for additional info, details.
John Q

Go to: digitalscalestore.com

Have a great selection good prices.

Mike

look on ebay, a normal digital mail or kitchen scale will work fine. Should be ac measure in grams/kgs and oz/ibs. Should be accurate to 2grams and more acurate and you are just waisting your money.

tom