COURIER MAIL (Brisbane, Australia) 03 February 05 Snake hitches ride home in car
Jenny Kristensen is not afraid of snakes - she just does not like to share a car with them.
That's what happened yesterday when a 25cm-long slitherer popped its head through Ms Kristensen's air vent as she was driving through Palmerston.
Ms Kristensen was heading back to Darwin city centre after tending her horses in the countryside, where the snake is likely to have hitched a ride.
"He was just a little thing," she said.
"I was driving along when he wriggled up through the air vents and poked his head out.
"I pulled over as fast as I could and phoned my husband and he suggested I go to the police."
Palmerston police notified Parks and Wildlife of the hitch-hiker and a ranger was sent out to catch the critter, who proved elusive.
After searching the car for an hour, ranger Dave Wurst gave Ms Kristensen a few tips to coax him out at home.
"He could be anywhere, but he found his way in so he should be able to find his way out again," Mr Wurst said.
"You just have to hope he doesn't die in the car because the smell can be just awful and they're hard to find."
Ms Kristensen described the light brown snake with diamond markings on its belly.
A snake handler suggested the reptile may have been a tree snake or a young carpet python.
"It's almost impossible to say without seeing it but tree snakes are very agile and can get into a car," the handler said.
Snake hitches ride home in car