Watch snake ignore 'No Soliciting' sign, slither outside Texas home

A Texas woman got scared when she saw a scaly visitor outside her home on her Ring security camera.

"I got a motion alert from my doorbell and was shocked to see a wild chicken snake slithering down my wall - something I’d never seen before," Anna, who lives in Cypress, said in a statement. "It was the first time catching this on video, and honestly, it gave me chills."

The woman, whom Ring did not further identify, added that she watched the snake move around live "after the notification and couldn’t believe it." Her husband, meanwhile, thought it was pretty cool.

Video footage from May 8 shows the snake slithering up and down the wall of Anna's home in Cypress, a suburb of Houston, and onto a grill basket as a "No Soliciting" sign hangs in the background. It is not immediately known what happened to the snake and whether it was removed or went away on its own.

Watch snake slither on wall in Ring camera footage

How common are snakes in Texas?

Snakes, both venomous and non-venomous, are common in Texas and serve a valuable function in the environment, according to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.

The state agency advises members of the public not to kill a snake, even a venomous one, explaining that snakes do not prey on humans and will not chase them.

"In fact, they usually retreat or escape if given the opportunity," the department said, adding danger only comes when they "are either surprised or cornered."

"The majority of bites result from people taking unnecessary or foolish risks with venomous snakes," the department said, urging people to freeze if snakes are known to be nearby and move back slowly and carefully away from the reptile.

The reptile seen in the Ring footage was a rat snake. These snakes, also called "chicken snakes" given their appetite for chicken eggs in barns, usually feed on mice, rats and other small rodents, according to a City of Sugar Land fact sheet. Rat snakes are excellent climbers, and while they are non-venomous, they may bite if disturbed. They also vibrate their tail and "expel a malodorous musk" for defense if they feel threatened.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.