What would you do

I really want to start getting a collection of reptiles going but im a senior on highschool and I have to leave for college pretty soon.... (soon as in within like a year or two) I plan on staying in state almost for sure, and the college im most interested in is about an hour away. What would you do in my place? I already have my female ball python, and planned on getting a turtle or multiple turtles in two weeks, and a female pastel around christmas time. :tears:
I also want to get a female boa too... (with a male later) :oops:

I wonder if they would care about keeping snakes in the dorms.... :rolleyes: (but seriously. lol) - or if they would know about them... :colbert:

The other problem would be my turtles but my brother would probably watch over them for me since he still has four more years of highschool to do... and by then I should be out of college maybe?? Probably?

I think that the college requires students to stay on campus for the first two years or something...

I'd keep the collection small while in college. Maybe just the ball python you have already. Unless you could rent a house close to school. Go to college and make the best grades you can and get er done.
On the other hand you could keep a small collection of ball pythons in a rack system without taking up too much space. Ball pythons won't get big like the boa you mentioned. Bp's are also pretty low maintenance. I would check there enclosures everyday to make sure everything is in order, but it would be relatively safe to leave them for a weekend while you go home for some of mom's cooking.
Some turtles and lizards require daily feedings etc.

Most colleges won't allow you to keeps pets in a dorm unless its something like a beta. I would check with the school first because I know of cases where if you are caught with a snake they take it and will rehome or do away with the animal and you wouldn't want that to happen to your collection.

Just also keep in mind the feelings of potential roommates- some may not be fans of snakes, or just don't want pets in the rooms. If it were me, I would leave your current snake at home temporarily until those issues are sorted out, then setup a rack somewhere. In my experience, most people will be pretty chill about the whole thing as long as they know about it in advance, rather than you just showing up with a pet. just my 2 cents

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Originally Posted by Jason Bowden

I'd keep the collection small while in college. Maybe just the ball python you have already. Unless you could rent a house close to school. Go to college and make the best grades you can and get er done.
On the other hand you could keep a small collection of ball pythons in a rack system without taking up too much space. Ball pythons won't get big like the boa you mentioned. Bp's are also pretty low maintenance. I would check there enclosures everyday to make sure everything is in order, but it would be relatively safe to leave them for a weekend while you go home for some of mom's cooking.
Some turtles and lizards require daily feedings etc.

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yeah that was my main thoughts with the turtles as if I were to have to leave my animals at home. But I wouldnt want to leave my snakes alone for a whole week with little to no attention from my parents or brother. But its not like I plan on getting rid of my girl...

I also was thinking that a rack or tubs would be good for college and probably wouldnt even be noticed.

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Originally Posted by Iris

Most colleges won't allow you to keeps pets in a dorm unless its something like a beta. I would check with the school first because I know of cases where if you are caught with a snake they take it and will rehome or do away with the animal and you wouldn't want that to happen to your collection.

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A beta... well... a ball isnt much different.... right?
lol. beta.... Why cant you keep pets though? I cant think of any good reasons besides that people could be allergic but.... that doesnt happen with reptiles does it?

WTF. "Do away" with my animal??? Like what?? Kill it.
I dont think they have any authority to rehome my pets with out me knowing...

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Originally Posted by gmcclurelssu

Just also keep in mind the feelings of potential roommates- some may not be fans of snakes, or just don't want pets in the rooms. If it were me, I would leave your current snake at home temporarily until those issues are sorted out, then setup a rack somewhere. In my experience, most people will be pretty chill about the whole thing as long as they know about it in advance, rather than you just showing up with a pet. just my 2 cents

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I would deffiantley check with them first... A rack, or a tub might not even be noticed since it could be hidden pretty easily under a bed or something.
I would hope that people are chill....
Arrrr....

A ball is much different that is the point. The point is if they find it in you room doing an inspection or whatever your school may do they could have it removed from the campus and there isn't much you can do unless you can get them to allow you to take it back to your parents house.

Because you broke their rules for living in a dorm. I don't mean to sound mean but I know a guy the worked as security for a college and got a lot of snakes from room inspections that were done by housing.

Well, what you could do is just keep your one Ball python and take her only to your college. After you finish up with college and move out of the dorm you could build up your collection then, since you'd have more time and space for the snakes and turtles.

Waiting to do something we really want to do can be VERY hard....but just because it's hard doesn't mean it isn't the right thing to do. A snake or two might not be too hard to figure out how to care for during your college years, but turtles take a lot of space and time and specialized enclosures. I would seriously consider putting off acquiring ANY new animals until you're absolutely sure what your living quarters will be like and have a very specific plan in place for handling current and future animals.

You won't ever regret waiting for a little while....but you might very well come to regret the early satisfaction of buying animals now.

Or get a place off campus? They give more leeway. I wouldn't keep it in your dorm unless you had absolutely no choice--I do know in state/city colleges the room inspections can only be in open space and visible areas i.e. they can't look under things/in things but I don't know about private colleges.

People are afraid of reptiles, not to mention ball poop/pee usually stinks--things like fish don't affect your roommates, but anything bigger can. Good luck!

I'd wait. You dont want to take any chances. Because once you get another it will lead to another and another. lol

I attend NC State. When I was on campus they did room inspections without warning and were allowed to look in closets and under beds and around desks and things. Pretty much anywhere, anytime. As a college student, I know that they only limit pet keeping because of releasing of "unwanted pets". People would get cats and bring them on campus when it was allowed then find they couldnt afford care and let them go. Now we have a feral cat problem on campus. If I was in your shoes I'd really wait until I could get my own place to prevent any problems, such as a snake or two being found and euthanized, potention roommate scares, and other problems such as financial issues.

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Originally Posted by MsPrada

I attend NC State. When I was on campus they did room inspections without warning and were allowed to look in closets and under beds and around desks and things. Pretty much anywhere, anytime. As a college student, I know that they only limit pet keeping because of releasing of "unwanted pets". People would get cats and bring them on campus when it was allowed then find they couldnt afford care and let them go. Now we have a feral cat problem on campus. If I was in your shoes I'd really wait until I could get my own place to prevent any problems, such as a snake or two being found and euthanized, potention roommate scares, and other problems such as financial issues.

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Woah, that's strange--I'm in SUNY Stonybrook and they're explicitly told they're not allowed to look anywhere except the visible areas. I hear from my friends that it's the same up at Binghamton and Purchase. Some kids simply throw a cloth over things they don't want to have seen and no one can say or do anything. Maybe it goes by state as well?

Oh, yes, there's feral cat problem here as well, so much that there's a "club" on campus that's dedicated to trapping them and taking them to the vet to get rid of their itty bitty parts.

However, I second everyone else, don't add anything until you have the ability to. It's just that if there is no other choice for his existing animals (rehoming, etc failed) then that's his last resort.

I didn't get my ball until I was at college. We are required to live on campus for your freshman year unless you are living at home. My first year I had a roommate, then my second year I had my own room and I got my ball. However, they don't really do room checks here unless someone complains, and I didn't have a roommate. I know that we have a no pet policy here, which was pretty easy to get around since they don't do many checks. But, I wouldn't have risked it my first year. You don't know how strict they are going to be, or what they would do if you got caught. I know someone that got caught with reptiles in their dorm room (same dorms I was in acutally, just a few years before me) and they allowed him to keep them there until he went home for Thanksgiving break. On the other hand, there are schools that will take the animal, and there isn't much you can do about what is done with it once the school has it. On top of that, most places you can get put with a roommate that you don't know until you move in...I know my first roommate would have *flipped* if I had even mentioned snake.

I would suggest waiting at least a year. Then if you stay on campus you will at least know how strict they are and what you can get away with, or if you move off campus then you can work it out with your landlords. Your bp will be ok with out much attention during the week... they aren't social animals and don't really care if they are held or paid attention to anyways. Also, it would probably be best if you didn't add any more animals until you know how things are going at school. I only had the one ball while I was in the dorms, now that I have my own place I have 4 (soon to be 5)! Just give it some time, and the animals you want to add to your collection will still be there, and after a while you will be able to expand your collection with out worrying about it.

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Originally Posted by JLC

Waiting to do something we really want to do can be VERY hard....but just because it's hard doesn't mean it isn't the right thing to do. A snake or two might not be too hard to figure out how to care for during your college years, but turtles take a lot of space and time and specialized enclosures. I would seriously consider putting off acquiring ANY new animals until you're absolutely sure what your living quarters will be like and have a very specific plan in place for handling current and future animals.

You won't ever regret waiting for a little while....but you might very well come to regret the early satisfaction of buying animals now.

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So is that the -go ahead- for the pastel? :D (that would make two snakes)
So ill probably have to lay off the turtle/s? I had a great idea too... I was going to move my ball into a tub and use the 38 gal tank i have her in now for the turtle/s.... It would have worked out perfect. :oops:

But I also know that I couldnt keep turtles once im in college because they take up alot of space and need fed more often which I cant do if im not at home.

I kind of thought that it could possibly work out if I drive home on the weekends to "visit the family" and feed my snake but then shes not getting much attention unless my brother takes her out, and Im not sure how consistent the humidity and temperature would be during the week.
Unless I can get my brother to check on her then maybe it would be ok?

Anyone have any ideas on how to get something to work with keeping them, at home or near the school.

Also, my cousin goes to the college I want to go to, so I don't know if hes living on campus or how many years he has left to go. I havent talked to him recently...

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Originally Posted by p3titexburial

Or get a place off campus? They give more leeway. I wouldn't keep it in your dorm unless you had absolutely no choice--I do know in state/city colleges the room inspections can only be in open space and visible areas i.e. they can't look under things/in things but I don't know about private colleges.

People are afraid of reptiles, not to mention ball poop/pee usually stinks--things like fish don't affect your roommates, but anything bigger can. Good luck!

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Most colleges dont allow first and second year students to get a place off campus. Usually they say its so you can get to know the area or something but its also because they think people are going to party and get drunk alot and they dont want kids driving around.

The defecation may smell some but not really. The only way Ive noticed anything is by actually seeing it and not smelling it, unless its like hidden in the substrate.

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Originally Posted by Iris

A ball is much different that is the point. The point is if they find it in you room doing an inspection or whatever your school may do they could have it removed from the campus and there isn't much you can do unless you can get them to allow you to take it back to your parents house.

Because you broke their rules for living in a dorm. I don't mean to sound mean but I know a guy the worked as security for a college and got a lot of snakes from room inspections that were done by housing.

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I know a ball is different but not to me. They both dont make much of a difference if you own them or not. They dont smell or make noise or disturb other people.
Id also have to check the rules or maybe ask someone (like an administrator or what ever they call them in a college) and see what they say about it.

I guess most colleges where you are? I wouldn't say most college. The 4 that I know people at around here allow freshman to do whatever they want, they only have limitations on cars.

I don't know. Do what you want, but I have to honestly say that I would never bring an animal on campus unless it was allowed. I wouldn't risk that animals life unnecessarily because you never know what can happen.

I would NOT recommend trying to sneak any animals into a dorm room, trust me, I was almost kicked out of mine last year because I too thought that snakes in a rack wouldn't be noticed.... Yeah its not a good idea to break the rules of the college even though you want to. College dorms DO NOT allow any animals except fish, and the tank must be less then 10 gallons at that. It will be tough, but keep the one animal you have at home with your parents for now, and after the two years of you having to stay on campus is up, move to a place off campus that allows caged pets, and find a roommate that will put up with it. Trust me, you do not want to go through the stress of getting kicked out and/or potentially losing your animal. It's just not worth it, and the animals will still be there once you get into a place where you can actually have them.

Also, the college has every right to do whatever they want with the animal you sneaked into their dorm, and in most cases if they find something, you will NOT get it back. Seriously. Be responsible, and wait.

I honestly have to 2nd that.