A family in suburban Broward County has converted their garage into a magical space for hundreds of reptiles.
It’s a light and temperature-controlled, carefully planned reptile habitat just a few steps from the family room.
One big snake is named “Dark Knight.” There are also vibrant green tree pythons from Indonesia and drawers full of colorful babies.
Socratis Christoforou says he always had a love of snakes as a young man. They helped him cope with stress.
“It’s definitely a passion of mine,” Christoforou said. “I feel connected to them.”
The sense of wonder from his children sparked his interest again.
“When my daughter (Ariana) was born something told me, ‘Let’s go see if she’ll like a snake,” Christoforou said.
And she did.
“I just saw the snake and I saw how kind and beautiful they are,” Ariana said.
She likes to relax with her ball pythons. Sometimes they cuddle.
“He’s never (bitten) anyone,” Ariana said. “He’s really social and kind.”
Her brother, Maximus, likes hanging out with his snakes, too.
“If you’re a beginner snake person I would recommend a ball python,” Ariana said.
The kids also keep camouflage lychee geckos.
The only snake who stays in the living room is a big guy named “Megatron.”
For this family, the snakes they collect — and sometimes sell and give away — are part of life.
“A lot of people are scared of snakes and I’m just proud of myself because I’m not scared of them,” Ariana said. “They make me embrace my feelings.”
The family says they’ve never had a snake escape and at this point, they’re at capacity, but the love of wildlife has been instilled in them forever.
Christoforou also says everything’s above-board: he’s permitted to keep the reptiles and gets regular inspections from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.