There is a gecko in the Tower. His name is Queso.
His owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, bought Queso discounted for $12 at Petco in the final weeks of summer vacation as a "spur of the moment buy."
"I was buying supplies for a research project. I was looking for tanks," she said. Some would say it was love at first sight.
Queso is a leopard gecko, sporting distinctive spots.
"He's really pretty," said his owner (hereafter referred to as 'Doe'). "He is yellow with black spots and it looks like he has green eye shadow."
According to The College's residential life policy, no pets of any kind are allowed in campus housing.
"It is probably a good policy to have since plenty of people have allergies and that might not be great for a lot of the students," said Doe.
According to Doe, the policy is easy to circumvent and therefore unlikely to inconvenience any committed would-be pet owners.
Changing it, she says, would be unnecessary, but, according to Doe, the school "should allow fish because it's not like fish would do anything bad," she said.
Turtle owners Kayte and Kim (last names omitted) also commented on the relaxed nature of the policy.
"Nobody has ever said anything," said Kayte.
She added that when she was a first year, the head proctor of her dorm babysat her turtles a few times.
Besides allergies, Kayte cites the "health and safety of pets" as another reason why the instated policy is probably necessary.
According to Kayte, turtles, which are relatively low maintenance, "can't be affected" by many of the potentially damaging effects a college life could have on a dog or cat.
Although all of the pet owners agree with the policy's validity, they find that the pros of owning a pet on campus far outweigh the cons.
Doe's roommates did not learn of Queso's arrival until the first day of classes, but he was instantly "considered part of the family."
"He's the best pet ever," said Doe, commenting on his pet's friendliness and the low level of maintenance he requires.
She also noted that her roommates love to play with her pet instead of studying, describing the lizard as "a great procrastination activity."
Since moving into a single, Doe says that Queso's presence has eased the loneliness of solitary life.
"I had never had a single before, so it is nice to have a reptile roommate to keep me company," Doe explained.
Similarly Kayte and Kim mentioned that their turtles, who they call Snap and Pluto, provide company and sometimes boisterous entertainment.
"Sometimes one will go on top of the other one and kick it in the face to get to the food first," said Kayte.
"Both will swim at the glass when someone looks in," added Kim.
The students also noted the cost-effective nature of owning reptiles.
Besides the initial $12 down payment, Queso requires very little financial investment.
Doe houses Queso in an old tank borrowed from the biology department and only has to buy food (a hearty mix of mealworms and crickets) once every couple of weeks.
However, Queso is "getting really fat," said Doe.
Snap and Pluto were an even cheaper buy. "It was $10 for two [turtles] and the cage," said Kayte, who bought them two summers ago on a side street in Boston's Chinatown.
Kayte says that she buys turtle food at the pet store across from Hannaford, Brooks Feed & Farm Supply.
Otherwise, all that the turtles require is an occasional cage cleaning and a water change every week two weeks.
Both Kim and Kayte describe themselves as life-long animal lovers.
"We go to the humane society to play with the pets two to three times per week," said Kim.
For Kayte, though, nothing can truly compare to having a pet of her own and she says she loves to return home, see the turtles, and have time to relax with them.