When your doorbell rings and it's not who you'd expect: A scaly surprise in Texas!
When Anna's Ring security camera pinged her with a motion alert, she didn't think much of it. But instead of a delivery person or a friendly neighbor, she was met with an image that would make most people's skin crawl: a wild chicken snake gracefully making its way down the wall, right outside her front door! The unsettling footage from Cypress, Texas, was shared with Newsweek.
Anna told Ring she was "shocked" by the sight, having never encountered anything like it before. The incident unfolded on May 8, right outside Anna's home. The video captures the snake as it descends from a space above the Ring camera, slithering precariously close to her front door. Anna admits the sight was unsettling, stating, "It was the first time catching this on video, and honestly, it gave me chills." She watched the event unfold live after getting the notification, adding, "I couldn't believe it." Rest assured, Anna's slithering visitor was more startling than dangerous. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission clarifies that while "most specimens will bite if handled roughly or otherwise restrained... a bite from even a large specimen is no more severe than a briar scratch."
This isn't the first time a snake has caused a stir online. In February 2023, a viral video showed a snake catcher's remarkably calm reaction to a massive eastern brown venomous snake slithering right under her legs while she was having a smoke session. More recently, August 2024 saw footage emerge of a 5-year-old girl unexpectedly "ambushed" by a huge snake on her front porch. Of course, not every unexpected doorbell camera surprise is scale-related.
While Anna's close encounter with the chicken snake was undoubtedly a jolt, it's worth noting that Texas is a hotbed for these slithery creatures. The state boasts an impressive 105 different species and subspecies of snakes, yet the vast majority pose no threat to humans. According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, only 15 of these species are considered dangerous. The venomous snakes found in Texas are primarily limited to four types: Copperheads, Cottonmouths, Rattlesnakes and Coral Snakes. Even with the presence of these venomous species, the risk of a fatal snake bite in Texas is remarkably low. According to Texas Health and Human Services, the estimated average is just one to two deaths each year from venomous snake bites. To put this into perspective, you are statistically far more likely to experience a fatal lightning strike than to succumb to a snake bite in the state, as mentioned on Newsweek.
Anna's viral video serves as a compelling reminder that our homes, even in seemingly ordinary suburbs, are often integrated into a larger ecosystem. The unexpected visit of a chicken snake, though initially startling, ultimately shows us the diverse and often harmless wildlife that coexist with us. These encounters, magnified by the ubiquity of doorbell cameras, continue to captivate and educate the public, turning fleeting moments of surprise into shared stories that underscore the unpredictable charms of the natural world, and sometimes, human behaviour, right on our doorsteps.