What looked like a loose hose under the hood of an Oldsmobile turned out to be a 4-foot boa constrictor. The surprise discovery for a West Allis couple in Wisconsin brought police, animal control, and a reptile expert to the scene.
Here's what to know
According to WISN, Windy Tuck and her husband realized the object stretched across their engine was a snake only after first mistaking it for a stray car part.
"We thought maybe a hose was thrown up there. Upon closer look, it was a snake. A huge snake," Tuck said.
Tuck said the adult boa constrictor appeared calm at first and didn't act aggressively.
"He, like, turned his head around and started looking at us. He didn't do any hissing or anything like that, just some tongue movements," she said.
Police and the Department of Natural Resources were among the couple's first calls, and Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission later sent crews with Cindy Steinle of Small Scale Reptile Rescue. She said a call like that is highly unusual where they live.
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"You don't get a call for a boa in a car in Wisconsin. That's more Florida speed," she said.
Responders located the snake beneath the engine, and Steinle eventually coaxed it out through the wheel well.
"I basically was tickling it, annoying it," she said.
More background
Steinle told WISN that Wisconsin's colder weather makes it unlikely the snake had been outside before April.
Tuck emphasized the scale of the sight, adding, "It was just skin crawling, like it's almost the size of me, almost the size of me. I'm only 5'5"."
If you find a wild animal in or near a vehicle, keep a safe distance and call a professional rather than trying to deal with it yourself. Even nonvenomous snakes can bite when stressed, and improper handling can injure the animal.
Secure enclosures are essential for exotic pets to prevent an unwanted surprise escape. Snakes are strong, stealthy, and can slip through small openings, especially if they are kept in setups not designed for their size or strength.
MADACC is holding the boa, and its owner has four days to claim it. If no one comes forward, Steinle plans to prepare the animal for adoption through her rescue organization.
"Snakes belong in snake cages, not aquariums. You need a secure enclosure for your pets. If you have a reptile pet, this snake easily could have popped a cage like this at home, popped up in the screen, gone in the wind," Steinle said.
Where can I learn more?
The West Allis boa isn't the only surprise snake story to make headlines. These stories follow unusual snake encounters in Wisconsin, homes across the South, and Florida neighborhoods.
• In Iowa County, Wisconsin, a giant snake dumping mystery unraveled after an owner's account.
• Across the Mid-South, snake calls surge 50 percent as tiny openings invite them indoors.
• In Fulshear, Texas, an officer bare-hands a rat snake as gator calls keep coming.
• In Florida, firefighters rushed to alarming discoveries in their homes involving invasive Burmese pythons.
• One homeowner found a yellow rat snake back at the chicken coop 12 miles later.
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