Tiger snake seen slithering through through wheel

The 1m long serpent slithered out from the Jeep's wheel as the owner parked and was about to let her dog out of the car, snake catcher Scott Smith said.

Fortunately, a keen-eyed passerby spotted the snake as it emerged and advised the driver to leave the dog where it was.

"She did all the right things," Mr Smith said, adding the car's owner had called him and he had arrived about five minutes later.

"We tend to get a few jobs like that a year with snakes in cars."

"Not sitting up there with you in the front seat," he added, laughing. "But they do sit in the engine bay and in the chassis.

"They might get chased up there by a cat or a dog or they'll go in there when the car is parked at home and they're seeking somewhere dark and cool."

Mr Smith said it was likely this one was in the engine bay and became uncomfortable as the car warmed up, so sought to make an escape as soon as the car was ssssstationary.

He said he was unable to find this particular snake on this occasion, but was confident it had not returned to the vehicle. Just maybe keep a look out if you're near Wynyard on Tasmania's north-west coast.