This is a little awkward, I guess.
Sara Allison last week came upon an intriguing scenario while house-sitting for her folks in Texas. When Allison stopped to check on the family’s hens, she found an unexpected visitor had definitely settled in the coop, cuddled under one of its feathery inhabitants.
A snake was snuggled up next to a hen.
Allison was shocked — but what made it all the more surprising was that the chicken was far from flustered.
“She didn’t seem bothered by the snake at all,” Allison said, admitting that she isn’t sure how the unusual arrangement got started. “Either the chicken came and sat on it, or it slithered under her and she chose not to move.”
Whatever the case may be, it was certainly a sight to behold.
It’s interesting to note that the snake has previously visited the coop. He had never before been seen getting close to one of the birds.
It turns out that Allison’s parents are aware of the wild rat snake, which has developed into a crucial component in maintaining the calm in the area. He frequents the nearby coop from a broken-down automobile where he resides, emerging sometimes to help himself to a freshly produced egg. In return, the snake scares off possible predators and harmful pests.
Because of this, Allison’s father refers to the snake as his “friend.”
According to Allison, “It has never attempted to hurt any hens or their chicks.” Because it is free rodent control, we are happy about it.
Following the hen’s lead, Allison decided to let the cozied-up snake be — and after checking again a short while later, found the snake had slithered away on his own.
That still doesn’t really explain why the snake chose to be under the hen that evening, though for a cold-blooded creature, it might have seemed like an ideal spot to escape a chill in the air.
“I was assuming the snake chose that box because it was the closest to the door,” Allison said. “But who knows? It could have been pretty comfy getting warmed up!”
The moment when the chicken and snake cuddled was perhaps a little strange, but it was also endearing. What isn’t conceivable, after all, if these two can get along?
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