Repeated snake sightings turned one backyard chicken coop into an unexpected wildlife-watching site, as a homeowner kept noticing the reptiles slithering through the area.
The strongest clue as to what was drawing them in came from one snake with a clear egg-shaped bulge in its neck.
What happened?
In a post on Reddit, the homeowner shared a gallery of snake encounters recorded near a backyard coop over the course of several months. The animals pictured included rat snakes and a plain-bellied water snake appearing around the chickens and their eggs.
One image drew particular attention because a snake's neck had a pronounced lump, as if it had just swallowed an egg.
Instead of killing the snakes, the owner said they moved them to another area of the property where mice were already a problem. Commenters appreciated the homeowner for safely relocating the snakes instead of killing them while also making jokes about the funny-looking photo.
"Can't stop imagining the first one heard you coming and ate fast to hide the evidence," one user joked.
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"This noodle is innocent and you cannot prove he's ever done anything wrong in his whole life," another user commented on the humorous sight.
Why does it matter?
The episode shows how people can unintentionally make a space more attractive to wildlife. A chicken coop puts multiple food sources in one area: eggs for snakes that eat them along with spilled feed or nearby cover that can bring in rodents, which may then attract more snakes.
That doesn't automatically mean the snakes are acting aggressively or doing anything unusual. In a human-created environment, they may simply be responding to an easy meal. Coverage of human-wildlife conflict has repeatedly shown that changing landscapes and creating steady food sources can increase encounters with wild animals.
Even so, frequent snake sightings around pets, livestock, or places where children play can be concerning. However, many snakes are harmless to people and can actually be useful around a property. Rat snakes and water snakes, for example, prey on mice and rats that spread disease, damage property, and get into stored animal feed.
What can I do?
If snakes keep appearing around a coop, the most effective place to start is by removing what attracts them. Gathering eggs quickly, sealing feed containers, cleaning up spilled grain, and trimming back tall grass, brush piles, or openings under structures can reduce hiding places for both rodents and snakes.
It's also helpful to understand which snake species are common in your area. Knowing whether a snake is venomous or nonvenomous can lead to a calmer, safer response. In many situations, maintaining distance and calling a local wildlife rehabilitator or licensed relocator is a better choice than trying to handle the snake yourself.
Prevention matters even when relocation is used. If the food source stays in place, moving one snake often means another will take its place. By removing attractants while leaving beneficial predator species unharmed, homeowners may be able to lower the odds of repeat visits and reduce rodent issues at the same time.
What seems like a tidy, controlled backyard feature to people can look very different to wild animals, as a chicken coop can resemble an all-you-can-eat buffet. As one Redditor joked, "Their greed, it sickens me."
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