---
title: "Shocked Family With Car Trouble Discovers a Python Hiding Under the Hood"
description: "A dead battery led to a frightening find of a large snake sitting on a family's car engine."
date: "2017-11-10"
modified: "2017-11-10"
authors:
  - name: "Brian Beers"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/brian-beers"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/article/15957/shocked-family-with-car-trouble-discovers-a-python-hiding-under-the-hood"
categories:
  - "News"
tags:
  - "animals"
  - "Australia"
  - "car trouble"
  - "News"
---

# Shocked Family With Car Trouble Discovers a Python Hiding Under the Hood

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2017/11/screen-shot-2017-11-10-at-10-25-55-am.png>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

A family having trouble starting their car was shocked after discovering a nearly 4.5-foot python under the hood.

[According to *9News Australia*](<https://www.9news.com.au/national/2017/11/10/11/04/it-was-right-in-front-of-my-face-nrma-patrolman-finds-python-curled-up-under-car-s-bonnet>), it all started when a woman contacted the National Roads and Motorists' Association (NRMA)—basically the Australian version of AAA—for help with what was thought to be a dead battery.

After arriving, an NRMA patrolman opened the hood of the car and made a shocking discovery. He saw what turned out to be a diamond python sitting on the engine and realized "there it was right in front of my face."

https://twitter.com/_/status/928484666650144768

Fortunately for the unsuspecting NRMA mechanic, the snake decided not to launch a surprise attack.

“It actually reared up, because it mustn’t have liked the look of me. But it calmed back down after I moved away a bit," the patrolman told *9News*.

A snake handler was called in to free the python after it appeared to be tangled in the engine.

https://twitter.com/_/status/928818619630338048

The python was released “at a suitable location” a short time after being removed from the woman's car.

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