College and Chams?

scut

scut

New Member
I will be heading off to college in a year, and I am wondering if anyone else had the dilemma of what to do with their chameleon!

I am really going to try to bring it with me (I'll be studying zoology... you would think I could at least keep him in a classroom).
Also, dorms sometimes don't consider reptiles as pets? I saw someone with turtles in her room... I think the deal is if it is quiet and in a tank/cage and doesn't smell it is OK to have?

thanks for any input!
 
Honestly....better to ask forgiveness than permission. I think that you should do some sleuthing and ask people who live there now (not an administrator or anyone high up at the college, but a student in the dorms) if small caged animals are allowed. Be totally non committal about it- don't say "I am bringing my chameleon!" say "I was just curious about policies..."
 
From what I have witnessed keeping an animal in a dorm is HARD to do... your gonna have to really be cool about it. Get to know your RA really well... don't be a problem child and keep it clean... you might get away with it. It will really depend on your RA and the school.

Where are you going to school? have you taken a tour of the campus? If you'll be at the school before it is in session ask around...
 
I have a carpet chameleon and a rudis chameleon in my college dormroom. None of the RAs or campus police know about them. Some RAs have been into our room but we have tricked them into thinking we were growing plants, our chameleons were blending in so well :D.
 
cushcameleon said:
I have a carpet chameleon and a rudis chameleon in my college dormroom. None of the RAs or campus police know about them. Some RAs have been into our room but we have tricked them into thinking we were growing plants, our chameleons were blending in so well :D.
Click to expand...

HAHA good idea!
 
All you have to do is make sure your cool with your RA and then you should be fine. My RA didn't know we had chameleons until two days ago, and school ends this thursday. My RA was literally staring my chameleon dead in the face but didn't know it was there. For 30 minutes we tricked him into thinking it was a plant biology project. Finally he figured out after we told him it was there :p. I don't know if you could get away with keeping a veiled cause their so big and obvious, but montane species are really easy to conceal in a dorm room. Just make sure not to tell to many people either, cause then your whole school will find out about them and then you'll be done for :rolleyes:.
 
Yeah i would defiantly try the plant trick. I have a veiled chameleon and no one can seem to find her in her enclosure and when people do see her a lot of times they think that she is fake.
I'm glad that I go to a college that is only 45 min. away from house so I commute. I think I could easily sneak my cham into a dorm but I think I would have a harder time sneaking my blue tongue skink in. "Umm yeah its just a tank full of aspen bedding, you know you can never have too much aspen"
Make sure your roommates don't rat you out though and make sure they're okay with reptiles.
 
Since your a new student, and you probably wont even have any of your major courses until spring your second year, I doubt keeping it in a classroom would be an option. College isn't like high school where you can just drop a pet off in the science room. If your dorm or apartment doesnt allow pets, I would suggest searching for a responsible person that would be interested in adopting... Or you can do what I did and live for free with the rents, go to school, AND have plenty of room for chams. :p
 
Here's the bottom line....I am a freshmen living in the dorms successfully keeping TWO chameleons. Yes it is possible, yes it is a challenge and yes it awesome! :D
 
Our policy in the dorms was "fish and only fish"...but I had a turtle, and that was cool with my RA. He was small then...to think that I used to be able to house him with community fish....my how he has grown! (to eat them) :)
 
This is true, if your roommate isn't cool with it then its going to be a problem. But me and my roommate both went halfzies on the chameleons and the setup, so we both on them.
 
Ironically, I bought my first chameleon a couple months before college. I planned on it being my college pet. Even with the dorms no pet policy, I took my chances and kept my baby with me.

Nobody ever said anything.

Here I am 2 years later with 4 chameleons. Not in a dorm anymore because dorms suck but yeah.

Keep it! Be a rebel!:)
 
Why not set up a free range so that no one would even think to look at the plant? Get a big ficus or schefflera. You could also make a section of wall that has trellis on it (a corner with it on both walls would be good) and string pothos all over it. Screw some branches in and make it climbable. It would be awesome.
 
kenya said:
Why not set up a free range so that no one would even think to look at the plant? Get a big ficus or schefflera. You could also make a section of wall that has trellis on it (a corner with it on both walls would be good) and string pothos all over it. Screw some branches in and make it climbable. It would be awesome.
Click to expand...
This is probably your best bet, especially if it is a young small chameleon. It also seems that a Free Range takes up less room.

We were only allowed to have fish in our dorm rooms. I would check to make sure there aren't rules against it. Other than that, I have plenty of time to care for my cham while im at school.
 
I have been in Univeristy for 6 years now. Finishing undergrad and continue into grad school. I started raising chameleon since 2005 while I was living off-campus. Due to work, I have to move back into the dorm 2 years ago. I secretly keep my chameleon in the dorm room (yeah! I am a rebel). Unfortunatly, during a firedrill, someone came into my room and notice my collection and then I have to give up my hobby!!! Depends on the school policy, you can only keep anything in a 10 gal tank (fish). Reptile wise, is kinda NO-NO policy.

I agree to a free ranging setup to be safe. After my incidence, I started grewing orchids in my dorm room with heat lamp and UV light. No one care about my plants at all...!!! So, try to get some huge pothos, umbrella plant and ficus for a free ranging setup for your chameleon!!:D

If not... just be a rebel!!!! keep you chameleon in your dorm room!!!!!
 
@ Kenya - I dont think a free range would be safe. I know it depends on the person, but there were always people coming in and out of my dorm room and our doors were left open. I would suggest setting the cage up in the closet. Because lights/etc will look weird being pointed at a random tree.

@ Dunnigan - LUCKY!!! :( all freshman had to stay in dorms at my school :(



On another note, I had a sugar glider in my dorm. I paid the extra to have no roommate my second semester so that was mainly why, but my roommate wouldn't of cared. Also, you need to figure out how to sneak the cage in.. That was my only problem. I had a huge sugar glider cage and the CA didn't know but everyone else did. Good Luck!
 
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