See the Massive Boa Constrictor Mechanics Found in a Car Engine… Still Alive!

September 26th, 2023, started as a normal Tuesday for an automotive company based in Myrtle Beach. However, it wasn’t long before it took an unexpected turn. Upon opening the hood of a customer’s Ford Focus, two mechanics would stumble upon a massive — and still very much alive — boa constrictor. Here’s the full story.

Employees Find a Massive Boa Constrictor in the Engine

Two mechanics, Matt Trudeau and Tony Galli, were working on a Ford Focus. The car was brought in by the owner, who reported that his check engine light was on. So, naturally, the mechanics proceeded to indeed check the engine.

However, when they opened the car’s hood, they were immediately “greeted” by an unsuspected intruder: a massive albino boa constrictor.

Despite their experience, the two mechanics were completely shocked. Nothing they previously found underneath car hoods could prepare them for a close encounter with a living, breathing boa constrictor.

The car’s owner was just as shocked, stating that he had no idea how the 8-foot serpent got into his engine.

Fortunately, Trudeau and Galli knew just who to call — Russell Cavender, also known as “the Snake Chaser.”

Cavender Saves the Day

Cavender reportedly caught his first snake when he was just three, and has been working as a full-time “snake chaser” and alligator wrestler since 1993. This made him the perfect person for the job of guiding the boa constrictor out of the engine. He quickly responded to the mechanics’ call and did just that.

Cavender later reported that the snake was underweight and needed care. The goal is to find it a permanent home after recovery.

Are Boa Constrictors Venomous?

Boa constrictors are not venomous, but that doesn’t mean they’re not dangerous. In fact, boa constrictors are incredibly strong and heavy-bodied, and use constriction as their preferred method of killing their prey. However, they aren’t usually dangerous to people.

More specifically, boa constrictors squeeze their prey to death before swallowing it whole.

Fun Boa Constrictor Facts

• The word boa comes from Latin and means large snake. The word started being used for nonvenomous constrictor-type snakes from South America sometime around the 1600s.
• Boas don’t always cause asphyxiation. Their victims usually die from heart and respiratory failure.
• Boas can live on trees, closer to the ground, and even in water.
• Some boas ambush their prey; others actively seek it out.
• Boas mainly eat smaller animals. However, the bigger the snake, the bigger its preferred prey!

The photo featured at the top of this post is © GlobalP/iStock via Getty Images