Dogs are man’s best friend. Cats are man's purrfectly unpredictable partner. Reptiles and arachnids are killed.

We call a group of dogs a pack. We call a group of cats a clowder. We call a group of snakes “get that away from me.”

As a former wildlife educator at an animal sanctuary, I have learned when snakes hiss, it’s not a threat but a warning – they may be shedding, digesting, or in another state of vulnerability. When they wrap around us, they are not trying to constrict us, but to soak up our warmth. After all, cold-blooded does not mean cold-hearted, it means they require external heat to regulate their body temperature.

I understand many people fear snakes. My mom is terrified. For Mother’s Day, I brought her to work.

Corn snakes, a nonvenomous species known for their docile temperament, are often killed like mosquitoes in Florida. They are frequently mistaken for copperheads, a venomous pit viper. If people were more educated about reptiles–or simply chose to leave them alone–corn snakes would not be considered a species of special concern in the state. After all, a defensive animal is usually a scared animal.

Snakes are not the only feared creatures. Arachnophobia, the fear of spiders, is one of the most common ones worldwide. Sure, all tarantulas are venomous, but not everyone’s about to turn into Spider-Man. Their venom works mainly on insects, smaller spiders, and occasionally lizards, rodents, birds, or snakes. To humans though, most species are about as dangerous as a honeybee.

At home, I own a bearded dragon. My friends have asked me if reptiles are smart enough to have feelings. They also asked me if my dragon can breathe fire and fly. At times like these, I believe reptiles can be smarter than humans. In fact, some reptiles show surprising intelligence. For example, a well-trained Cuvier’s dwarf caiman, the smallest species of crocodilians – can learn about 48 commands on average, which is more than the average well-trained dog. Although most of the time, humans are too scared of crocodilians to train them.

Sometimes, it is not fear but misunderstanding of the animal’s needs that creates problems. People generally become excited when I present a diamondback terrapin. Turtles, tortoises, and terrapins are popular pets as babies, when they are about the size of a ping pong ball. However, once they outgrow their tanks–and people realize the average lifespan of a pet chelonian is 25 to 100 years–they are often abandoned. This is when they start showing up at our sanctuary’s door unannounced.

Whenever someone asks me, “Does this make a good pet?” I never give them a straight answer. I believe there are no good or bad pets – only irresponsible owners. If you have the time, space, and financial capability, you could even give a tiger a happy life. Of course, tigers, like reptiles, do not make common pets. But with proper care and love, they too can become our best friends.

In case you’re still wondering, a group of snakes is actually called a den.

And after Mother’s Day, my mom ended up touching a snake for the first time.