A family turned their garage into a serpentarium to care for 200 exotic snakes - with the kids even cuddling with them in bed.
Socratis Christoforu, 45, shares his passion for reptiles with his children Ariana and Maximus, who are already seasoned snake handlers at the age of nine and five.
The family's collection includes rare green tree pythons, Amazon basin boas and Boeleni pythons, a species Ariana particularly loves.
Family and friends have embraced the unconventional hobby with Ariana often showcasing her snakes at school events.
Ariana also owns about 30 snakes, which she keeps in her room.
Both Ariana and Maximus love to play and cuddle with their favorite Boeleni pythons named Fancy and Megatron.
Socratis, a business owner in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA, said: "It's normal for our family.
"The children don't fear them at all, they're just curious about them and we're lucky as a family to share this love for reptiles."
Socratis' fascination for snakes began as a child in New Jersey, where he caught venomous copperheads at the age of six.
Despite his parents’ fears, his love for reptiles only grew.
Socratis began his collection in 2001 but had to stop after the 2008 financial crash.
He rekindled his passion in 2016 after buying his daughter her first pet, a corn snake named Snowflake.
Socratis said: "The moment Ariana held Snowflake, I saw that same spark in her eyes.
“From there, our collection just grew.
"Now we have one of the most unique snake rooms in the world.”
Socratis carefully regulates the snakes' environment with special heat zones and cool zones in each enclosure for day and night variations.
He keeps the house at a constant 22 degrees Celsius (72 degrees Fahrenheit) during the day and 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit) in the night.
Reflecting on his early years, Socratis shared the challenges he faced.
He said: “Back in 2001, there wasn’t the wealth of online resources we have today.
"I had to rely on library books and learn through trial and error."
Without mentors, he had to navigate snake care on his own, often making mistakes along the way.
Over time, he developed his own methods focusing on mimicking natural environments and adjusting feeding schedules based on each snake’s habitat and energy needs.
He said: “I’ve learned to base care on their natural habitats like whether they live in the desert or jungle.
"And adjust things like feeding frequency and temperature accordingly.”
The family also adheres strictly to state regulations, especially for the venomous snakes with enclosures locked and labeled.
Socratis currently keeps two venomous species including a rear-fanged Bioga.
He said: “I hold a venomous license and every cage with venomous snakes is locked and labeled.
"We’ve never had an escape.
"It’s a lot of work but it’s rewarding especially when you see your children grow up with such respect for nature."
Maintaining the collection is a labor of love costing about £1k ($1.3k) every few months for food.
Socratis has passed on his knowledge to his children, teaching them to care for the reptiles and to respect all living creatures.
He said: “It’s about breaking the stigma we want to show people that snakes are beautiful, not something to fear.
“Snakes aren’t evil - they’re misunderstood.”
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