LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. — Florida is full of interesting critters, and a driver recently found one nestled under the hood of their car.
The Lee County Sheriff's Office posted on their Facebook page Tuesday that they received a call regarding a 𝚊 "15-20 foot python" entangled in the engine compartment of a vehicle in Lehigh Acres.
Sgt. James Van Pelt, who is also a state-licensed python contractor, arrived at the scene expecting to have to dispose of an invasive species.
However, when Van Pelt inspected the situation, he found that the caller wasn't exactly accurate in their description of the situation.
A video posted by the sheriff's office showed Van Pelt discovering a much smaller red rat snake, native to Florida, that looked quite content wrapped up among the wiring of the engine bay.
A picture of the snake showed that it looked like it was a bit disturbed by the commotion as it was soaking up the heat of the vehicle.
Van Pelt quickly pulled the coiled-up reptile from the vehicle and displayed it for the camera.
"The snake was safely removed and released, unharmed, in a nearby wooded area!" the sheriff's office said in their Facebook post.
Red rat snakes, which are not venomous, are known to live in pine rocklands, rockland hammocks, mangrove forests and also urbanized areas, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission website. The species is found in every county of Florida.