A Virginia chicken keeper got quite a surprise after opening a shed door and finding two black snakes in what they described as a "freaky suspension position."
In a post titled "Snakes mating in my shed," a Richmond, Virginia, resident shared photos of the pair hanging together inside the small building and asked whether the animals were rat snakes or racers.
"Opened the door of my shed to find these two black snakes mating in some freaky suspension position," the original poster wrote. "These two have been eating my chicken eggs but I've left them alone so they can take care of rodents and possibly copperheads?"
(Click here if the embedded video does not appear.)
The shed's location next to a chicken coop may help explain the unusual encounter.
Human-made structures such as sheds and coops can create warm, sheltered spaces, and they also tend to attract rodents and hold eggs and other easy food sources, drawing wildlife closer to people.
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In this case, the original poster later said the pair had been identified on another forum as central ratsnakes, a nonvenomous species known for climbing and for showing up around barns, rafters, and henhouses.
Wildlife often comes into close contact with humans because our buildings, landscaping, and food sources can reshape animal behavior.
Central ratsnakes are generally considered beneficial neighbors.
They help control rodents, which can damage property, spread disease, and threaten backyard chicken setups.
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Losing a few eggs may be frustrating, but many commenters noted that a resident rat snake can be a cheaper and safer form of pest control than traps or poison. Rodenticides can harm pets and other wildlife, while nonvenomous snakes naturally fill an important ecological role.
Commenters had plenty of jokes.
One of the most popular responses read: "Not your shed anymore, that's the love shack."
Another added, "Privacy please, they makin lil noodles."
Others focused on the practical side of having snakes around a coop.
"Eggs are a small price to pay for rodent and copperhead control," one person wrote.
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