Watch Giant Snake Get Pulled From Underside of Car

Publish date: 2024-05-10

When Vernick Lalujan realized there was a snake in the underside of his car, he thought it had to be a small one to fit in such a tight space. Little did he know that pulling it out would seem as never-ending as the scarf-in-the-sleeve magic trick.

He had been waiting for his son in a Starbucks coffee shop in the Philippines when he was alerted by a security guard that a small huddle had formed around his vehicle in a parking lot.

"When people informed me that a snake [was hiding in] my car, I was shocked," Lalujan said. "They pointed where it hid and I thought it was a small one but [only] until the people started to pull it out. Then I realized I was wrong."

What came out from the underside of the car, with some difficulty as footage provided shows, was an 8-foot python.

The Philippines is home to over 100 species of snake. It is unclear which species was found underneath Lalujan's car, but the most common python species in the Philippines is the Reticulated python.

Reticulated pythons are one of the longest snake species in the world and regularly reach over 20 feet in length. The longest on record surpassed 32 feet, according to London's Natural History Museum. Despite widespread hunting for commercial snakeskin, these animals have managed to maintain fairly stable populations throughout their native Southeast Asia, with the International Union for Conservation of Nature categorizing the species as being of "least concern" on its list of threatened animals.

The species is non-venomous and kills its prey by constriction. Attacks on humans are rare but not unheard of, and there are numerous reports of people being eaten by these snakes. For example, in 2018, an Indonesian woman was swallowed whole by a 23-foot-long python.

Although the species is usually found in woodlands, grasslands and rainforests, they are highly adaptable to different habitats and have even been found in sewers.

Lalujan said that he thought this particular snake may have come from a creek near the parking area. "The snake [had been] lying under the car next to mine," he said. "When the car left, it was exposed and people noticed its presence. By that time, it went to my car."

Lalujan shared the footage of the snake being pulled out from the car with the Alabang Bulletin, which posted it on its Facebook page on February 7. The video has now been viewed over 2 million times and received hundreds of comments from users.

"The snake wants 'Starbs'—one mocha frappuccino, to-go," said one user.

Once the snake had been retrieved from underneath Lalujan's car, it was handed in to the related government authorities.

Do you have an animal or nature story to share with Newsweek? Do you have a question about snakes? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.

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