Meet the 13X pets
Last spring, a moose bounded across campus. This summer, the Tabard coed fraternity’s python slithered out of its house, garnering national media attention. The rumors are true: Hanover is wilder than ever before. Campus is abuzz with snapchats and muploads of fraternity puppies and ball snakes, creatures that roam from the Connecticut River to your Wednesday night pong game.
The familiar names Baxter, Zeus and Rosie have taken over Collis pasta and KAF line conversations. The three fraternity puppies have warmed hearts everywhere they go.
Who can resist stopping and saying hello to Baxter, Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity’s furry addition to the brotherhood, on the way to Astro or Classics? Kappa Kappa Kappa fraternity’s border collie, Zeus, boosts traffic to 1 Webster Avenue. And anyone walking back from the gym is bound to see the brothers of Alpha Delta frolicking on the lawn with Rosie, their greater Swiss mountain dog.
Yet other critters lurk among campus’s conventional beasts. Some of the less facetimey animals that have roamed Hanover this summer include snakes, a chinchilla and a school of fish.
Psi Upsilon fraternity is home to an 11-month old puppy, Argie, but members also play host to two snakes and a chinchilla named Puck at their Wheelock Street residence.
The Tabard is home to two snakes, one of which recently made national news. Don’t worry, HuffPost: Lyude, the 3-foot ball python, has been safely returned to its cage.
This recent incident sparked interest in these lesser-known creatures, and students are getting increasingly adventurous with their choice of furry friend. Most, however, are hesitant to share too much for fear of getting in trouble. The majority of campus residences are college-owned, which means that the types of animals that are permitted are restricted.
So whether you’re the proud owner of one of these elusive animals or are happier not knowing they even exist, keep an eye (and iPhone) out – you never know what national newsworthy campus critter might emerge and be the next big thing.