CuitzeoCam

[chris-uk]

I bought an IP webcam last week, which I had planned to use an a video baby monitor when Joseph arrives in August. Well, Joseph isn't here yet and a new gadget needs a good test.... So CuitzeoCam has been born.

I can't embed the stream in the forum, but you can click the below to see a stream of what the cam is pointing at right now:
Visit Chris and Char's CuitzeoCam (http://madcowinternet.dyndns-server.com:8181/videostream.cgi?user=guest&pwd=thamnophis&resolution=32&rate=1)
.... as I type it's pointed at Lacci on her platform, the bunch of string and leaves to the right are the "Thamock". Of course, by the time you look it may have changed. :)

[angrygamer]

Aww, that is so cool.

[EasternGirl]

Very cool Chris! One of these days I'm going to have to take my webcam and hook it up to my laptop and put it on one of my enclosures for you guys...Of course, I don't think these days you would be watching anything very interesting. Just Cee Cee sleeping and occasionally staring out into space...maybe Seeley climbing in a tree. The albinos just hide all day long...lol.

[guidofatherof5]

Very nice. Hope to see some pool action at a later time.

[chris-uk]

It's a shame the camera can't track their movement. Unless I'm watching I just have to guess where the most interesting action is likely to be. Of course it helps that my desk is just out of shot, so if I'm working from home the Cuitzeos are right in front of me and I can see or hear when they are active.
I may not keep the camera running all the time, but for now it's an interesting glimpse of Cuitzeos living in Coventry.

I'm a bit disappointed with the picture quality, maybe I need to get an HD IP webcam... for when the baby arrives. ;)

[Selkielass]

Bit of swimming going on just now- very cool!

[chris-uk]

Vlad was in the pool when I looked in. Also, Lacci's eyes are going blue, so give it 4-5 days and you might be lucky enough to see a shed live on CuitzeoCam. :)

[guidofatherof5]

Caught some of that pool action.

[EasternGirl]

I see snakes in a thammock. Very cool...they seem to like their thammock. I'm not sure how many snakes I'm looking at...two or three? I see eyes peering at me...

[chris-uk]

Only two in there. Vlad and Lacci have gone off the romantic boil, but they're still going to get split up soon and housed with a radix each.
At 7pm their light goes off and the camera switches to nightvision, in case you wonder why the colours change at different times of day.

Early morning when the basking light comes on is prime time to see Lacci in the Thammock, she gets straight up there to bask close to the light.

[EasternGirl]

I love watching the gartercam! There was a hanging snakie staring at me just now.

[Invisible Snake]

Hey Chris thanks for showing us your snakes via http://madcowinternet.dyndns-server.com:8181/videostream.cgi?user=guest&pwd=thamnophis&resolution=32&rate=1 :) Could you tell us when you are going to feed them so we may watch?

[chris-uk]

Hey Chris thanks for showing us your snakes via http://madcowinternet.dyndns-server.com:8181/videostream.cgi?user=guest&pwd=thamnophis&resolution=32&rate=1 :) Could you tell us when you are going to feed them so we may watch?

Ah, I fed them yesterday afternoon. Vlad ate, but Lacrimosa wasn't interested (she was ate the peak of opaque eyes, I'm guessing Wednesday will be a shed day. Next feed will be Wednesday or Thursday, I usually feed them around 6pm BST.

[kimbosaur]

Yay, I finally caught one exploring. Great idea.

[chris-uk]

Yay, I finally caught one exploring. Great idea.

Probably Vlad, as Lacci is keeping herself tucked away with her shed coming up.

[Eight]

This is actually so awesome, I've bookmarked it :)

how does an ip camera work? I'm guessing you have to leave your computer on?

[EasternGirl]

Ooooo! I just saw someone soaking! This is so cool! Okay...why am I this excited about seeing snakes on a webcam when I can go in the other room and see snakes live? I don't know...but I just saw someone soaking!!! :D I am way too excited about this! I'm bookmarking it too...

[chris-uk]

This is actually so awesome, I've bookmarked it :)

how does an ip camera work? I'm guessing you have to leave your computer on?

No need to leave the computer on with an IP camera. The IP bit of the name means it runs using internet protocols - basically it's a webcam with a built in web server to deliver the video stream. I have it attached to my broadband router using wifi (it has a wired ethernet port as well, but using wifi means I have more freedom with positions), and the router is set to allow traffic on my CuitzeoCam port through my firewall to the IPcam.
So in short, it's a self-contained video stream camera, no need to plug it into a PC other than for initial configuration.

At some point the CuitzeoCam will become a more general ThamCam, when the radix have had their quarantine period I'll be rearranging so that we have a the male and female Cuitzeo and radix together in single sex vivs.

[Stefan-A]

What camera are you using and what's the price tag?

[chris-uk]

What camera are you using and what's the price tag?

It's an EasyN FS-613A with cost anything from £40-45, one of these:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0068DQUOI/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00

There seems to be any number of IPcams that look like they are churned off the same line before being badged and possibly getting different firmware. For a £40 camera it's not bad, but I hanker for HD and a zoom facility... the wife says I can't have another (improved) one.

[Eight]

I can't seem to connect to the web page anymore :(

[guidofatherof5]

I connected fine. Seems to be working.

[Eight]

it must be an issue my end then :(

[Eight]

scratch that. Its working fine now. Just another mystery of the internet....

[chris-uk]

It does go down occassionally. And I might take it offline every now and then.

[Eight]

what lights are you using in your setup? have you got any pics of the enclosure? I'm sat here desperately waiting for snake movement lol

[chris-uk]

There's a basking light on for 12 hours a day, in the evening and overnight your seeing stuff with the camera's IR night mode.
Generally they're most active first thing in the morning and around 6-7pm, so around lights on and lights off.

I'll have a look for some pics of the enclosure.

[chris-uk]

The CuitzeoCam was down over the last couple of days - I'd tweaked the router settings and didn't realise I'd set a bad IP address for the camera. It should be up again now.

[guidofatherof5]

Yes, it is back up.

[Stefan-A]

I see people.

[EasternGirl]

I see two snakes cuddled up together. :)

[Eight]

I see snakes and peoples. Its the best reality TV I've seen in years ;)

[Eight]

What garters do you have in there?

[chris-uk]

I see people.

My desk is in front of the camera, through two panes of glass. You occassionally see me moving about, but the snakes are more interesting.


What garters do you have in there?

Two Lake Cuitzeo Garters (Thamnophis eques cuitzeoensis).

[Stefan-A]

My desk is in front of the camera, through two panes of glass. You occassionally see me moving about, but the snakes are more interesting.
The snakes won't do anything incriminating. People might.

[Eight]

Two Lake Cuitzeo Garters (Thamnophis eques cuitzeoensis).

Ah, I just got my schoolboy error. Everything suddenly makes sense lol :)

[chris-uk]

The snakes won't do anything incriminating. People might.

Unless you see a clearer picture than me I'm generally just a hazy bit of movement in the top right corner. Unless of course I venture into the viv, then you'll see my hands.

[Invisible Snake]

Chris do you wear glasses? I thought I saw someone with glasses on about a week ago

[Stefan-A]

Unless you see a clearer picture than me I'm generally just a hazy bit of movement in the top right corner. Unless of course I venture into the viv, then you'll see my hands.
I can always hope.

[chris-uk]

The forum's voyeurs are crawling out of the woodwork...

[guidofatherof5]

This is getting a little weird.:D

[Stefan-A]

The forum's voyeurs are crawling out of the woodwork...
Everybody loves a good train wreck.

[ConcinusMan]

I bought an IP webcam last week, which I had planned to use an a video baby monitor when Joseph arrives in August. Well, Joseph isn't here yet and a new gadget needs a good test.... So CuitzeoCam has been born.

I can't embed the stream in the forum, but you can click the below to see a stream of what the cam is pointing at right now:
Visit Chris and Char's CuitzeoCam (http://madcowinternet.dyndns-server.com:8181/videostream.cgi?user=guest&pwd=thamnophis&resolution=32&rate=1)
.... as I type it's pointed at Lacci on her platform, the bunch of string and leaves to the right are the "Thamock". Of course, by the time you look it may have changed. :)

Darnit. I missed this entirely. Too late now.

[ConcinusMan]

I'm a bit disappointed with the picture quality, maybe I need to get an HD IP webcam... for when the baby arrives. ;)

You're going to need some seriously screaming fast upload speed for that. I don't know about over there, but here the FCC and all the ISP's significantly limit upload speed unless you pay a high premium for business class internet.

[chris-uk]

The camera is offline at the moment. I've not managed to get it setup since we moved house.

I'd have enough capacity to support an hd stream if I had an hd camera - we aren't talking about 1080p at 60fps, most likely I'd cut the refresh back to 15fps which significantly reduces bandwidth and is adequate for this sort of application.

[ConcinusMan]

I would think that 720p would be adequate. I don't see much difference between 720 and 1080 on this machine anyway. I only see a difference if it's displayed on the TV and even then, it's minimal difference. I set up a "critter cam" once when I was keeping chorus frogs.