Fla. Family Owns Over 200 Snakes, Including Reptiles that Cuddle with the Kids in Bed
"Snakes aren't evil — they're misunderstood," Socratis Christoforu said of his family's love for the reptiles
"Snakes aren't evil — they're misunderstood," Socratis Christoforu said of his family's love for the reptiles Socratis Christoforu/SWNS Socratis Christoforu's children Ariana and Maximus cuddling with their pet snakes:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/family-owns-hundreds-of-snakes-111524-88c307ac1d8147e19b6b7ba4fbea6dd2.jpg "Socratis Christoforu, 45 and his wife with their children, Ariana, 9, and Maximus, 5. A man has transformed his family garage into a world-class serpentarium, housing over 200 exotic snakes")
Snakes can be caring, cuddly companions, according to one Florida family.
Socratis Christoforu has always had an appreciation for snakes, telling SWNS he started observing and catching the reptiles, including venomous copperheads, when he was six years old.
Now, Socratis has passed on his passion for pythons to his two children, Arian, 9, and Maximus, 5. According to SWNS, the family has transformed the garage of their Fort Lauderdale, Fla., home into a "serpentarium."
The renovated space houses 200 snakes, including boas, pythons, and two venomous snake species. Socratis told SWNS that all of the reptiles are legally owned and lovingly cared for, with the family spending over $1,000 on the pets every few months. Socratis Christoforu/SWNS Socratis Christoforu and his family in their "serpentarium"
"I hold a venomous license, and every cage with venomous snakes is locked and labeled," Socratis says. "We've never had an escape."
Related: 'Rarest Snake' in the U.S. Hatches at Tennessee Zoo — and Soon It Will Be Released into the Wild
"It's a lot of work, but it's rewarding, especially when you see your children grow up with such respect for nature," the dad added.
Daughter Ariana has especially taken to snake keeping and has 30 of her own snakes in her room, and often brings the pets to school for projects. Boeleni pythons Fancy and Megatron are some of her favorite pets and are among the snakes that sometimes cuddle up with the girl while she naps. Socratis Christoforu/SWNS Ariana and Maximus with one of their over 200 pet snakes
"It's normal for our family," Socratis said. "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."
Related: South Carolina Woman Surprised When She Finds Snake Behind Her Toilet
To show their love, the family pays careful attention to their snakes, adjusting each snake's enclosure and diet to meet its needs. Socratis Christoforu/SWNS Socratis Christoforu's children Ariana and Maximus cuddling with their pet snakes
The snake-loving family hopes their devotion to reptiles and openness to sharing snakes with the world inspire others to rethink their views of the slithering animals.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
"It's about breaking the stigma. We want to show people that snakes are beautiful, not something to fear," Socratis told SWNS. "Snakes aren't evil — they're misunderstood."
