Scientists checked 109 owl nests in Turkey and found live snakes in 44%

Researchers conducted a study in central Turkey, examining 109 nests of the Eurasian scops owl. In 44% of these nests, they discovered a species of burrowing snake called the worm snake, Xerotyphlops vermicularis. The snakes were not found in empty nest boxes, but only in those occupied by scops owl nests. The researchers observed that the owls were bringing the live snakes into the nests while they were still alive, contrary to a simple explanation of the snakes entering accidentally.

An intriguing aspect is that the young owls in snake-containing nests appeared to have a higher survival rate, with 61% of the chicks fledging compared to just 29% in nests without snakes. However, this does not definitively prove that the snakes directly benefit the chicks, as other factors could also contribute to nest success. The researchers acknowledge that further investigation is needed to determine whether the snakes positively impact the owls or if they merely reflect other conditions favoring successful nesting.

This phenomenon of snakes being carried into nests is not unique to scops owls; similar observations have been made in other parts of the world, where birds are seen bringing live, non-venomous snakes into their nesting sites. These instances have led researchers to question whether such behavior could create unexpected ecological partnerships, even if the predator does not consume the prey it captures.

For the scops owls in central Turkey, one potential explanation could be that the snakes consume insects found in the nest, reducing competition, irritation, or other negative effects on the developing chicks. However, the exact reason for this unusual behavior remains a mystery, as it could also be an incidental benefit of the owls being in a warm, food-rich environment or possibly selecting snakes as prey without consuming them.