I found this in the coop this morning. Not up in the roost, but down on the ground, dead. Stretched out to its full length, it was probably about a foot. So a small snake, then, and it had clearly eaten something before expiring.
You may recall that we found a sharp-tailed snake under a brick in our garden last year. I believe this dead snake is the same kind. To be sure, I wrote to Gary at California Herps and asked for verification. He’s always so responsive and helpful when I have a lizard or snake question. Here’s a copy of our conversation:
Me: Hi Gary, I found this snake dead in our chicken coop. If stretched out, would be about a foot long. The only snakes I have ever seen in our garden are sharp-tailed. Do you think this is also a sharp-tailed?
Gary: Hi Elizabeth. From the size, the scales, the tail, what look like dark bars on the underside, and your past history, it could be a sharp-tailed snake. There are three other species of similar-looking small snakes in your area, but they don't have the blunt tail with a sharp tip that this one appears to have. All of them eat small invertebrates and small mammals but I don't think any of them would pose a threat to your chickens. The larger snakes in your area - gophersnakes, rattlesnakes, whipsnakes, racers, and kingsnakes - might try to eat chicks and maybe eggs, but I don't think they would try to eat adult chickens.
Me: Thanks Gary! I really appreciate your expertise. I’m not worried about the chickens, but we have had something predating on the eggs.... I can’t imagine this little guy could have managed that though. I assumed he was eating slugs. We also have some huge rats, so I would very much like some bigger snakes in our garden! I’ve been trying to attract them for years, so it’s exciting to see some activity finally.
Gary: The subject of the possibility of snakes in California preying on chicken eggs came up recently when I read an article about a rat snake in the east that ate a golf ball that was put in a chicken coop to encourage egg laying. There are no rat snakes in California, but gopher snakes and California king snakes have been known to eat birds eggs and chicks, and could probably prey on chicken eggs.