A Fort Lauderdale family has turned their garage into a home for 200 exotic snakes, with children Ariana, nine, and Maximus, five, treating the reptiles like family pets. Their collection includes rare species like green tree pythons, Amazon basin boas, and Boeleni pythons, and the kids even cuddle with their favorite snakes, Fancy and Megatron. “It’s normal for our family,” says dad Socratis Christoforu, whose love for reptiles began in childhood. “The children don’t fear them at all; they’re just curious about them, and we’re lucky to share this passion as a family.”
The fascination started when Socratis gifted his daughter a corn snake named Snowflake in 2016, sparking a growing collection. Now, their home features a state-of-the-art serpentarium in the garage, with regulated heating zones, and locked enclosures for venomous species like a rear-fanged Bioga. “We’ve never had an escape,” Socratis explains. “It’s rewarding to see the kids grow up with such respect for nature.” The family spends about $1,300 every few months on food and hope to rid fears about snakes. “They’re not evil—they’re misunderstood,” Socratis says.
Source: SWNS
