Advice needed. Moving into an apartment.

[xFenrir]

I might be totally off here but you have left your snake with your parents while you where away at school,
four years of careing, feeding, cleaning and time.
Now you want to take him five hours away?
If I 'm right sounds like your parents are attached and want to keep him,
if that's the case, let them, they must be doing a good job after four years.
Take the opportunity and buy a new baby after you get set up with a place to live.
Win, win.
Then again I could be totally off base.

Then again that's not really fair to the OP, who also seems to really want their pet after not being able to for the past 4 years. It's not like they bought the snake and then dumped it on their parents while they went off and partied. They did the responsible thing while getting their education and left their pet well-cared for at home (I've heard so many stories of people either getting caught and in serious trouble by their school for having snuck their pet in). If his parents have found a love for snakes after caring for OP's Beeper, then they can go out and get one of their own too. ASSuming OP was the one who bought the setup and paid for the care and keeping of the snake, why should they then have to go out and spend all that money all over again just because their parents decided that now THEY want a snake too? I know I would be pretty upset if I agreed that my parents would care for my snake while I was at school, then when I came to get her they said "You know what? We've gotten attached to your pet so now WE want it."

From the small summary, I got the impression that OP is going through all the right hoops: not trying to sneak a pet into school with them, making sure it was well cared for in his or her absence and now that they have graduated and are looking for a place of their own they are looking for a place that they can legally keep their pet with them.



OP, I would find an apartment that will specifically agree to let your snake live with you (bring credible information on Ball Pythons with you, showing they will not grow into man-eating giants which seems to be the main concern about them), then go to your parents and explain nicely to them that your landlord has agreed to let you have a snake in your apartment and that their reasoning of "they'll never agree to let you have a snake" or "you'll just have to hide him" are not a concern. Also bring up that if they have come to want a snake of their own, you would be more than willing to advise them in purchasing a set up and a Beeper of their own.