Scientists checked 109 owl nests in Turkey and found live snakes in 44%
Researchers in Turkey have discovered that Eurasian scops owls frequently share their nests with live worm snakes. The study suggests that owl chicks in nests with snakes have a higher fledging success rate, hinting at a potential symbiotic relationship.
Why it matters
This unusual ecological discovery challenges traditional understandings of predator-prey dynamics and suggests potential benefits for avian nesting success.
A nest box occupied by a Eurasian scops owl might seem an unlikely place to find a live snake, yet that is exactly what researchers repeatedly encountered in central Türkiye. Across six breeding seasons, they inspected 109 owl nests and found the small worm snake Xerotyphlops vermicularis in 44% of them. The reptiles were not simply turning up in empty boxes. They occurred only in nests occupied by scops owls, and observations suggested that the owls were carrying the snakes inside while they were still alive. What happened next is less clear. The worm snakes, which feed on tiny invertebrates, were found moving through the nesting material, where ants and fly larvae can occur.The young owls also appeared to fare better in nests containing snakes: 61% of hatched chicks fledged, compared with 29% where snakes were absent.
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