Any herper knows, you say you have snakes, someone will exhibit fear. An article by the Houston Chronicle tries to take some of that fear away, just in time for NARBC to hit town.

Like spiders, most snakes are not harmful to humans, especially the ones common in urban and suburban Texas, says Corey Roelke, a biologist and past president of the Texas Herpetological Society.

Rattlesnakes, coral snakes, copperheads and cottonmouths are dangerous, but if you leave most venomous snakes alone, you're likely not going to be bitten.

"The vast majority of people who are bitten by snakes are trying to catch or kill them," Roelke says. "People think snakes are charging after them. In general, they want to get away from you."

Snakes are also useful. They're experts at catching rodents, slithering into small spaces cats can't reach.

King snakes and indigo snakes eat their venomous brethren, such as rattlesnakes.

Some snakes make great pets, Roelke says, because they don't need frequent feeding or complicated habitats.

The article was inspired by things that make people go jump in the night and also touches on bats and spiders. Any time a snake gets good press, it is a good day.