Lost World to Invade Riverview Library

Reptile breeder Gino Sassani of Lost World Reptiles in Tampa will be on hand with some scaly friends on Oct. 1 from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Riverview Branch Library, 10509 Riverview Dr. Riverview.

Sassani has been collecting reptiles since he was a young boy in Reading, Pa.

"In the early '80s I 'accidentally' bred a pair of snakes that I thought weren't even supposed to breed. (One was a female yellow rat and the other was a corn snake I thought was also a female)," said Sassani. "Incubating the eggs and finally seeing them hatch sparked a hobby that soon got out of control. I've been breeding snakes ever since."

Lost World Reptiles specializes in many forms of corn snakes, California kingsnakes and Florida kingsnakes. Sassani, who works with his wife, Ellen,  also breeds pines, bulls, gophers and other types of king and rat snakes.

Lost World Reptiles presents educational snake presentations customized for any age group, lasting 45 minutes to one hour. 

"Our presentation does not rely on the shock effect of large or dangerous animals; instead we attempt to familiarize the student with the characteristics of these animals," said Sassani. "We focus on snakes in the environment and demonstrate their value as members of our ecosystem. We demonstrate genetic variations of snakes not available in most pet shops."

For more information, call the library at 813-273-3652 or reach Sassani at Gino Sassani at 813-988-7210.