Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What happens if one owns a reptile but he needs to go away to college? It would be possible to ask the parents to feed the snake. However, it must be handled every day to most likely prevent distrust and keep a level of trust between owner and animal. I know for a fact, my parents are not willing to touch or handle any kind of reptile. What to do?

Someone might say. "You shouldn't have gotten a reptile." However, even if an six year old got a snake he would have the same problem anyway as he will most likely go to college as well and ball pythons live upwards of twenty years. It is wrong to prevent a child from getting a snake and it is inevitable all children with reptiles must face this problem sooner or later. However, I do not know how. How to? Any advice?

The issue of snakes and college are good question!

Dorms generally do not allow snakes. On the otherhand, if you have your own place, a snake is the best college pet to have:

-You have the animal and setup and no additional costs occur but for feeding (HUGE BONUS)

-They are very easy to care for if you've done it for a while and only have to be fed once in a while so they don't take your time away from you.

-A ball python needs handling but once a week at most to maintain its kind disposition.

-It's a great icebreaker to meet people

On the otherhand, if you must part with the snake you can try to find someone to take it on loan... i.e. - find someone you trust, maybe a breeder, or someone you feel comfortable with... let them take your snake and breed it/keep it until you leave college. Don't put the burden on your parents.

Good luck and let me know if you have anymore questions.
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-Iman

1.1 Sugar Gliders (Gizmo and Nema)
2.0 Ball Pythons (Spot and Speck)
0.1 Colombian BCI (Belle)
1.0 Colombian Rainbow (Rex)
0.1 Brazilian Rainbow (Just arrived!!!)

Loving to Learn
Learning to Help
Helping to Love

Stimulate debates, stifle arguments.
Please be nice always.

Future Project Wishlist:
0.2 BP
1.0 BCI
0.1 CRB
1.0 BRB
1.1 ARB, GRB, DB & JCP

What happens freshman year when I can’t get my own place? What happens if I can’t get my own place AT ALL? I probably will but I don’t know what I’d do if I can’t. However, the main problem seems to be the fact that freshman year most people cannot get their own places. I probably will not either since most colleges require you to sleep in the dorms for the first year.

Also, hypothetically, if you went to a college that would let you come back home every weekend would you take your snake with you anyway? Why or why not?

Thanks man…

Today is my last day of my freshman year in college (YAY go me). I went to the president of the school to ask permission in stating that I would not give up my pet and had nothing else to do with it. At first I was told I could keep it in the greenhouse under lock and key and only I and the head of the biology dept. would have keys. I was willing to do this however I rathered not. I explained that I would be willing to move to another room where a CA/RA would not be afraid and there was one on campus who had a redtail who I was aloud to live on the hall with. however, after a month of this setup I moved off campus to an appartment. the appartment is owned by the school and allows any pets other then dogs...

hope that in some ways this may help.

if you are a science major try to push the educational value of the snake.

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1.1 ball pythons (Draco and Naga)
1.0 red tail boa (Malichi)
coming soon (well not that soon...)
?.?.? eyelash Gecko(my g/f fell in love with them)
0.0.1 schneiders skink
1.0 blood python (lestat)

The first thing you need to do is figure out what your deal is for freshman year.

Then you need to decide if you want to part with your friend for good, or find someone to care for it. The best thing to do is look for some breeders in the area, and in exchange for them keeping for you, they can breed it and take advantage of the offspring (but you have to work out the details - like what happens if the snake dies, etc)

I have my snakes at college with me and am no where near home. I can go out of town for upto a week without worry, and if I need to leave longer, I know of people in the area who will care for them if I have to.

All I can suggest is work out a plan of action starting with the most desirable outcome and finishing with the least desirable and evaluate all of your alternatives in between.

EG

Most desirable - your are able to take the snake with you

EGs of alternatives in between
--------------------------------
Your parents are willing to keep it
A friend wants to watch it for you for a year until you get your place
A breeder is willing to take it for a few years
etc.
etc.
----------------------------------

Least desirable - you must part with your animal - question now is whether to sell or put up for adoption

Good luck.
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-Iman

1.1 Sugar Gliders (Gizmo and Nema)
2.0 Ball Pythons (Spot and Speck)
0.1 Colombian BCI (Belle)
1.0 Colombian Rainbow (Rex)
0.1 Brazilian Rainbow (Just arrived!!!)

Loving to Learn
Learning to Help
Helping to Love

Stimulate debates, stifle arguments.
Please be nice always.

Future Project Wishlist:
0.2 BP
1.0 BCI
0.1 CRB
1.0 BRB
1.1 ARB, GRB, DB & JCP

Hiya, I'll be leaving for college this August, and for awhile it really bothered me, not knowing what I'd do with my babies, but it was with my parents the agreement was finally made.

All parents (mothers especially) will want to see their child during college, and most students won't want to see them that often (other for money) so my parents and I have an agreement. They'll be keeping the snakes during my first year (until I can get an apartment) which is a contract to them stating that they will see me every weekened (so I can feed the snakes and handle them) and its a contract to me, that the snakes will be well cared for (as even though my mother isn't partial, she still adores them) and that I may get slipped a few dollars here and there

Try your parents if you come down to the wire, you'd be surprised how understanding they can be when their baby is leaving for college.
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1.0 Ball Python - Crucifix
0.1 Ball Python - Rome

College is a whole new world.

You more likely than not will have new things taking over your weekends.

Do not expect to have the chance to go home every weekend, I found one weekend a month difficult.

School work is harder, social events are much more fun, and the new-found freedom seems to find all kinds of ways to take away your weekends.

Don't say you didn't hear it here first.
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-Iman

1.1 Sugar Gliders (Gizmo and Nema)
2.0 Ball Pythons (Spot and Speck)
0.1 Colombian BCI (Belle)
1.0 Colombian Rainbow (Rex)
0.1 Brazilian Rainbow (Just arrived!!!)

Loving to Learn
Learning to Help
Helping to Love

Stimulate debates, stifle arguments.
Please be nice always.

Future Project Wishlist:
0.2 BP
1.0 BCI
0.1 CRB
1.0 BRB
1.1 ARB, GRB, DB & JCP

True, and it may happen if I join anything remotely social, but I'm an apathetic loner, my future college plans include locking myself to my bed and studying when I'm not in classes, or getting online. Save for the occasional trip to visit friends on other campuses, I don't plan on partying in the inner city any time soon, so that weekend option is open to me
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1.0 Ball Python - Crucifix
0.1 Ball Python - Rome

I'm currently a college student, and though nothing but fish is permitted in the dorm, I have not only kept my snakes year-round with me, but successfully bred them this past year as well.

Whats my trick? Well, my ball pythons are stored in rubbermaid containers...more specifically, those rather long ones you store beneath your bed. I drill a few holes on each end for proper ventillation, line it with newspaper, place a bowl of water within on one side, a heating pad beneath it on the other, and voila! Snake paradise. Perfect sheds, happy snakes, they even bred for me this year! Make sure it locks well, or set something heavy on it to prevent them from escaping, and change the newspaper once a week... Oh, and I keep an extra container around for feeding day. All of my containers are set neatly beneath my bed, and the comforter covering my bed is long enough to guard my snakes from sight. Its a very inconspicuous way to keep them, its easy to disguise, and its worked well for me the past two years.

The only problem you might run into is your roommate. Luckily, my roommates love my snakes, and I had an understanding agreement that I alone was to retrieve my snakes from their containers, and that they are not to go around blabbing about the fact we have snakes in our room.

Keep in mind, I suggest this as your last resort, because I tried everything before resulting to secrecy. Its hard refraining from boasting about your babies, but if its what I have to do in order to keep them with me, then its worth it.

-Ss

2.2 Ball Pythons
...and 6 on the way!

...I got written permission from the Dean of Housing to keep 3 snakes in my dorm room, one of these being my original female BP. This was at the U of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Contact the Dean at YOUR school and make a case for doing the same!
Scott J. Michaels DVM