WEST ALLIS, Wis. — What started as a typical Sunday evening for a West Allis family quickly turned into a shocking discovery over Labor Day weekend: a four-foot boa constrictor hiding under the hood of their car.
“When it first moved, I literally screamed and jumped and said, ‘No, that is alive, and it is definitely a huge snake,’” homeowner Windy Tuck said.
Tuck said her husband was working on an older car parked outside their home when the family noticed something unusual near the engine.
“At first, we thought it was a dirty hose,” Tuck said. “Then it turned around and started looking at us.”
The couple quickly backed away from the vehicle and began searching for help.
“I was in panic mode,” Tuck said. “My anxiety level shot through the roof. I didn’t know who to call, what to do.”
After contacting authorities, the family was directed to MADACC, Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission, which then contacted reptile rescue expert Cindy Steinle, founder of Small Scale Reptile Rescue.
Steinle said she immediately recognized the snake from photos as a boa constrictor — a species not native to Wisconsin.
“This is my most unique boa,” Steinle said, noting she has rescued more than 100 boas during her more than 30 years working with reptiles.
The snake appeared healthy, Steinle said, but removing it from the engine compartment required some strategy.
“Basically, what I did was I climbed up on the hood of the car and just kept irritating the snake and tickling it till it started moving,” she said.
The rescue took about 10 minutes, and no one was injured.
How the snake ended up in the car remains unclear. Steinle believes it may have been someone’s escaped or abandoned pet — not an illegally owned animal.
She said one possible explanation is the snake escaped from an improper enclosure. Steinle said many reptile owners mistakenly use fish aquariums with screen tops instead of secure reptile cages with locking doors.
“A snake like this can easily pop a screen top and get out,” Steinle said.
She said anyone who encounters a reptile or exotic pet they do not believe belongs in the wild should contact local animal control or an animal rescue organization, rather than trying to handle the animal themselves.
“If you find a reptile in the wild that you don’t think belongs there, call MADACC,” Steinle said.
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The boa will remain at MADACC during a mandatory stray hold period. If no owner comes forward, Steinle said the snake will eventually be put up for adoption.
As for Tuck, she said she hopes she never experiences anything like it again.
“Not something I ever want to experience again,” she said.
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