Mechanics Find an 8-Foot Boa Constrictor Inside The Hood of a Customer’s Ford Focus

Mechanics are used to replace serpentine belts all the time. Because one South Carolina technician found himself working with a real-life serpent (a Boa Constrictor to be exact) when tasked with a customer’s Mk3 Ford Focus.

A Weird “Hissing” Noise

When the 2015 Ford Focus arrived at Beach Automotive in Myrtle Beach for standard maintenance, everyone in the shop thought it was just another routine day. But as soon as service tech Tony Galli propped the vehicle’s hood, he was greeted by an unexpected guest. “I saw this big thing laid across it, I didn’t even know what it was,” Galli told WPDE. “I thought it was an oil sock to absorb oil. Then I was like ‘No, that’s a snake.’ Then I poked it and it moved and I was like, ‘that thing is alive.'”

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Naturally, the state of South Carolina is home to all sorts of wildlife, such as bears, coyotes, deer, beavers, squirrels, and alligators. However, an albino boa constrictor is not native to this part of the world. In an effort to remove the snake safety from the car’s engine bay, the mechanics called animal expert Russell Cavendar (aka “The Snake Chaser”) to assist them. After the technicians were able to remove some parts from the engine bay, Cavendar was able to remove the boa constrictor without any injury to the snake or himself.

Where Did The Boa Constrictor Come From?

But how did this snake end up in this car’s engine bay? According to Cavendar, because cold-blooded animals like reptiles can’t regulate their body temperature, it probably slipped under the hood of the Ford Focus for warmth.

The owner of the Ford Focus also had no idea there was a snake in his car. It is strongly believed that because the boa constrictor is native to Central and South America, this snake was someone’s pet at some point, and it either escaped from captivity or was dumped into the wild.

So the next time you start hearing an odd “hissing” sound coming from under your car’s hood, you may want to think twice about where it is coming from.