Tarantula and Invertebrate Record
Record feeding and moult cycles so that a long fast can be recognised as normal for your animal rather than worried about.
XP-11 1 page
Exotic and small pets · XP-12
Ant Colony Observation Record
A free printable ant keeping log — worker estimates, brood, queen sightings, feeding, water and temperature over the life of a colony.
Download Free · no sign-up
One page. Choose your paper size — both versions are laid out identically, so neither one gets shrunk to fit.
Print it and write on it
Fill it in type and save
The fillable versions have real form fields — open them in any PDF reader, type into them and save. Printing help.
What this sheet is for
Track a colony from founding through to establishment, which is the period where most of them are lost.
Who it is for
Ant keepers, from a first test tube setup to an established formicarium.
How to use it
- Estimate worker numbers rather than counting; consistency matters more than accuracy.
- Record brood stages when you can see them.
- Note temperature — it drives development speed entirely.
- Record the move to a larger setup and how it went.
What is on the sheet
The layout is fixed at a size that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the A4 and Letter files are visually identical and print at full size on either. Rows are set at a height that an adult can actually write a date and a few words into with a pen — most printable tables are built in a word processor and never tested with one.
Questions
How often should I feed a colony?
No schedule is printed. It differs by genus and by stage — a founding queen usually needs nothing at all, which is the thing new keepers most often get wrong. Use a species source.
Are there rules about keeping ants?
In some countries there are real restrictions on keeping or importing non-native species, and releasing them is an offence. Check before acquiring a colony from abroad.
Related sheets
Terrarium and Bioactive Setup Record
Record what actually went into a bioactive build, so that a problem months later can be traced to a decision rather than guessed at.
XP-09 2 pages
Feeder Insect and Livefood Record
Keep track of livefood stock and cultures so a feeding day does not arrive with an empty tub.
XP-22 2 pages
One new sheet, most weeks
We are building this library out steadily. Leave an address and we will send the new sheets as they are finished — nothing else, and no more than one email a week.
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