How can I hide my snakes in my dorm at college?

[Sand_Boa_Owner]

I really wasnt sure where to place this question but I have a sand boa, she is about 2 feet long and 4 years old. I also have a ball python, he is about 10 inches long and 4 months old. I can possibly part with my ball, but I cant be certain he would be treated with the utmost rspect in a new home, and I CANNOT part with my sand boa, she is my first snake and I watched her grow.
Did anyone have any experience with this? I am required to live in the dorms the first year and my reptiles are my stress outlet. I cant see myself parting without them. I know there are people that successfully done this. Also I will do my absolute best to successfully take care of them while in college. No meal will be missed, water always changed, and appropriate heat will be available. I will probably have to use a heat mat fir both and my ball is already on belly heat and he is always warm. Any tips?

[PitOnTheProwl]

Again with this.......
Simple answer DONT.

[Streller]

Could you tell me what is going to happen when they decide that they want to inspect the dorm?

[Reinz]

Possibly wait very late to register for a dorm on the chance that they may be all taken.

Thats what I did and ended up off campus in an apartment even though it was mandatory for Freshmen to live on campus.

Otherwise make other arrangements for your snakes. You won't be able to keep them a secret and will get busted eventually.

[ballpythonluvr]

By possibly doing this you are putting your animals at risk of being taken away from you. Please don't try and hide your animals. The risks really aren't fair to the snakes at all. Don't you have a friend or family that take care of them for you? Hiding an animal is never a smart idea, regardless of what species it is. Do yourself and your snakes a favor, don't do it.

[Sand_Boa_Owner]

I guess this was really frowned upon here, but I asked my sister if she was okay with taking care of them, and she seemed okay with it. But if needed, I"ll give my ball away to a responsible person and let my sister take care of my sand boa. I guess this is my plan until the next year where I can live in an apartment complex by the college.

[Streller]

That is a much better option.

[Marissa@MKmorphs]

We know you want to keep your babies, but sometimes we need to look at the bigger picture! Herps already have a lot of people and organizations wanting to get rid of our ability to keep these beautiful animals, and by breaking rules we set a bad example for the herp community. If your family can look after them for the first year, or if you have a friend that lives off campus that can keep them for you, that is ideal.

[Lizardlicks]

If the snakes are your stress outlet, you may want to look into getting as statement form a doctor saying that they are needed as therapy animals. A therapy animal is different form a service or assistance animal. You can't take it into stores or restaurants. It's simply a legal qualifier your doc signs that says you need to have this animal in order to alleviate symptoms of an ailment, and landlords have to abide by it and take steps to accommodate that. This can mean waiving pet deposits or fees, or allowing a pet in usually pet free housing. It will only apply to one animal. To get a pet approved as a therapy pet, you do have to have a condition diagnosed and documented by a relevant medical professional. It can be anything from anxiety to Asperger's/ASD to depression, and a whole range of physical disabilities for which that pet provides some kind of relief. And usually you have to explain how the pet aids you in alleviating symptoms; usually not that hard, pets of all kinds have been proven to lower stress levels simply by existing with their humans.

You may also want to straight up just talk to the college. A lot pf places might be willing to make arrangements to accommodate since A) the pets aren't very big and B) they live in cages. A lot of colleges have exceptions to no pet policies for things like fish, so you my be able to finagle allowance for a snake or two. If all else fails, I know Justin Kobylka got his start in breeding during college because he made and agreement with his university's biology department to keep and breed his snakes there! Doesn't hurt to ask any of the professors in the science departments if you could keep your pets in their labs or classrooms. Other students get a benefit from viewing live captive animals, and you get a safe place to stash your critters for the duration of your college stay.

[bcr229]

I'm not far from south central PA and could hang on to them for a year if you go to college in that area. Just stop in periodically to help clean up snake messes - I have 90 snakes, so there's always a mess somewhere.