Joe Blake
Now, I don't enjoy coming across a snake "in the wild." The surprise is the thing. But if I came across this particular ophidia, I do believe I'd be a little charmed. First, I'd never considered whether snakes could carry things in their mouths. I'd never thought about whether they ever needed to carry anything. Second --- and this is where I take off into fun world-building --- what is the snake going to do with the penny? Save it? (Here is an opportunity for a side quest, figuring out what type of piggy bank a snake might have.) Give it as a gift? Use it for show and tell at snake school? Only you can't have all the snake students come up front, or you might wind up with one of those awful, awful rat tails' tangled things. Third, if snakes can hum and smile and be excited, it's a pretty good bet that's happening there. That's probably a happy snake. Fourth, can a snake flip a coin?
