February 3, 2012

Snakes, a black widow spider, and a cage of crickets were among the menagerie found in Virginia Tech's underground steam tunnel network.

Campus police say the exotic array was discovered on Thursday and now they're trying to figure out how they got there.

The Roanoke Times says the find included two nonpoisonous snakes, a black widow spider, a tarantula, two lizards, a frog, a rabbit and three mice.

Police Chief Wendell Flinchum says police don't believe the animals were abandoned because they appeared to be in good condition.

Students living on the Blacksburg campus may keep fish in a 10-gallon aquarium. Under university policy, however, possession of any other pets on campus by students is prohibited.

The steam tunnels are also off limits.