Telltale Rattle Under The Hood: NY DEC

HANCOCK, NY — His car needed a jumpstart, so a resident of Hancock opened the hood. And he heard it before he saw it — a large rattlesnake resting on the engine block.

The Department of Environmental Conservation to the rescue.

Lt. Nate Ver Hague and ECO Mark Vencak responded. The complainant told them that he heard the distinctive rattle and backed away. The snake, also disturbed by the encounter, slithered over to the battery and curled up there.

The officers confirmed the reptile was a timber rattlesnake seeking shelter. Vencak carefully extracted the snake from the engine compartment as Ver Hague untangled its tail, which was wrapped around part of the engine. But not before they had photographed it in situ.

The officers released the snake nearby, next to several large boulders — a much more snake-appropriate habitat, DEC officials said.

PHOTO/ NYDEC