(Kansas City, Missouri) - At first, snakes were just a sideline for Steve Ceriotti. He milked venom for money - and to kill time.

But they became his career, along with alligators, scorpions, tarantulas, and a variety of other reptiles and arachnids.

Known popularly as Serengeti Steve, Ceriotti returns to the Library in June as part of its 2015 Summer Reading Program. He treats young audiences to six comically entertaining performances at six different Library locations.

The Summer Reading Program runs from May 26 to August 1, 2015, featuring an array of programs and activities revolving around the theme Every Hero Has a Story.

Ceriotti, a St. Louis area native, carried his passion for scaly and crawly critters into an initial career as a policeman, incorporating reptiles into his duties as a Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) officer. After a decade of police work, he turned his attention solely to herpetology.

Now the owner and operator of the Reptile Experience in St. Louis, Ceriotti has raised and maintained over 200 species of reptiles and arachnids from around the globe and specializes in performances geared to young and old alike.

  The first three of his performances are on Tuesday, June 2:

    • 10 a.m.: Southeast Branch, 6242 Swope Pkwy.
    • 1:30 p.m.: Central Library, 14 W. 10th St.
    • 4 p.m.: Plaza Branch, 4801 Main St.

  Three more are set for Wednesday, June 3:

    • 10 a.m.: Trails West Branch, 11401 E. 23rd St.
    • 1:30 p.m.: L.H. Bluford Branch, 3050 Prospect
    • 4 p.m.: North-East Branch, 6000 Wilson Rd.