A 6-foot snake hiding beneath a family SUV might sound like a freak occurrence, but these encounters are becoming more common as people and animals are forced into closer contact.
According to KIXS, Victoria, Texas, resident Bulmaro Martinez and his family were about to leave in their SUV one evening when they saw a large snake slither toward the vehicle and into the undercarriage.
By the next day, the snake was still there.
Martinez brought the SUV to Victory GMC in Victoria for help. At first, workers could not find anything during an inspection. But once the vehicle was lifted, they discovered the snake tucked underneath and hissing. It took nearly 10 minutes to remove the animal, which was estimated to be about 6 feet long.
Martinez captured the removal process on video and later uploaded it to Facebook.
The snake was not identified on camera, though it appeared to be nonvenomous. After workers removed it, they released it at Riverside Park.
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The disturbing discovery was not the first of its kind in the area. In another Victoria case reported last year, a resident shared video of a snake slithering up the gas pedal inside her car before disappearing.
For drivers and families, the most immediate issue is safety. A hidden snake inside or underneath a vehicle can trigger panic, create a dangerous distraction, or prompt someone to try to remove it without the proper training. And because many people cannot confidently identify snake species, even an encounter with a harmless animal can quickly become risky.
Snakes are drawn to dark, sheltered spaces, and vehicles can offer exactly that. In some situations, the lingering warmth from a recently driven car may also attract reptiles. But human activity is making these encounters more likely.
As roads, parking lots, and expanding neighborhoods fragment natural habitat, animals have fewer places to go without moving into human-dominated areas. Changing weather patterns and hotter conditions can also affect wildlife behavior and where animals seek cover. The result is more snakes and other animals turning up in garages, yards, engines, and undercarriages.
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In situations like this, the safest response is professional removal. If you see a snake in or around a vehicle, experts generally advise keeping your distance, avoiding any attempt to handle it yourself, and calling animal control, a licensed wildlife remover, or another local professional.
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