Eastern Screech-Owl

Here’s a fun #factfriday! Eastern Screech-Owls and a kind of snake known as a “blind snake” seem to act symbiotically in some areas of the U.S.! Occasionally the snakes are fed to chicks—like this baby we rehabbed and released this year—as a meal. But often times the snake isn’t eaten and manages to live in the nest cavity. While there, the snake receives shelter and easy meals by eating parasitic insects harmful to the owlets! A study done by Baylor University found that chicks raised in nests with blind snakes in them grew faster, were healthier, and the nests were cleaner than those without blind snakes! swvawildlifecenter.org #swvawildlifecenter #easternscreechowl