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Snakes and the number 13 are not usually considered good luck charms, but Condi and her 12 serpent siblings have brought happiness to a couple in Lebanon.
Lebanese Pierre Rizk and his Sri Lankan wife Sapna have no children but are living happily with their 13 snakes in a two-room apartment east of Beirut.
The Rizks form a multicultural family -- their pets hail from India, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Arizona -- and have named one of their snakes 'Condoleezza' in a tribute to former US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice.
"I really admire her for her leadership," Pierre Rizk told AFP in his small home, a yellow python slithering around his neck and chest.
"She has so much intelligence, responsibility, and energy -- just like the energy of snakes," he added.
The couple's 45-square-metre (484-square-feet) home, brightly decorated and with several religious symbols, has been converted into a haven where their pets roam free.
The two adopted their first snake on a trip to Sri Lanka, where Rizk said he felt an instant affinity for a local python.
"I am an avid advocate of the preservation of nature and animals," said the 35-year-old amateur musician. "My biggest python right now weighs 40 kilograms (88 pounds) and is four metres (13 feet) long."
