A man jump-starting his car was surprised to find a rattlesnake in his engine. (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation)
A man trying to jump-start his car got a slithering surprise when he opened the hood of his car.
The man, from rural Hancock in upstate New York, told authorities earlier this month that he heard an unusual sound coming from his engine and when he opened the hood, he saw a venomous timber rattlesnake.
He said the reptile slithered across the engine block and curled up on the battery, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation said in a press release Wednesday.
Wildlife experts were called out the Hancock, located on the Pennsylvania border about 115 miles northwest of New York City, to remove the snake.
Lt. Nate Ver Hague untangled the snake’s tail from the engine as Officer Mark Vencak carefully pulled it from the vehicle, officials said.
The incident happened on June 11. The officers said the snake was released next to several large boulders near the car that state wildlife experts described as “a much more snake-appropriate habitat.”
According to wildlife experts, the timber rattlesnake is the largest venomous snake in New York with a record length of 74 ½ inches.