Holidaying Aussie family startled as windscreen viper takes over car
A family were on a long journey back home on a busy NSW highway when they noticed "a little yellow head" on the hood of the car.
"What the f***? Kerry Jenkins exclaimed in a TikTok full of expletives, which has since gone viral. "It must be in the actual car [suggesting it was coming from inside the bonnet]."
She identified the unwelcome guest as a green tree snake, and urged her partner, who has a "massive snake phobia" to pull over.
"I can't" he responds, clearly agitated. "Theres no where to f***ing pull over."
The couple and their young son had been on the road for 250 kilometres from their holiday at Darlington Beach, north of Coffs Harbour, and were 30 kilometres from their home in Forster when the snake appeared into view. It's unclear how long the snake had been tagging along for the ride.
Having no where to stop yet, the poor snake continued to stay glued to the grill, and then started swinging from side to side after losing its hold, revealing how big the creature was.
"It's so f***ing scary," the man says. "Bet it's dizzy, Ms Jenkins pipes in.
As they turn off the Pacific Highway and slow down, the "windscreen viper" disappears from view. "Oh no, the man says," thinking he ran the snake over, however his partner appears to be more hopeful. "I don't think it came out. It wasn't on the road," she responds.
Social media users react to classic Aussie video
More than 28 million people viewed the video, commenting on how funny the couple's narration was.
"I’m dying laughing," one person said.
"Australian accents are elite" another said.
"The snake the whole time they’re talking: “Let me out, let me out," a third person said.
Update reveals snake is still inside car
In an update video on Monday, Ms Jenkins shows them getting out of the car after pulling over, where her partner comments that the snake slid under one of the front wheels.
"Once we pulled over we could see it was still hanging onto to the front grill," Ms Jenkins said in the video caption. "It slid onto the ground and then back up into the under motor. A fellow helped us look, with no success."
The morning after arriving home, they inspected the car again to no avail, though on Monday Ms Jenkins claimed her partner "popped the bonnet," to find the snake "sitting on top of the motor" which then "slid back into a crevice."
"It's the snake's car now," someone commented on the video.
Tree snakes do not pose a threat
Yahoo News Australia previously spoke to a snake rescuer who identified the breed as non-venomous and harmless to humans.
“Their teeth are so small they can’t really even pierce skin,” Snakes in the City rescuer Harley Jones said.
Mr Jones said it’s common for snakes to slither into the bonnets of cars, but more often than not, it’s driven there out of fear.
He advises people who see a snake near their car to stay away from it to allow the snake to move on. Once they’re in the car it can be difficult to get them out and it’s best to call a professional. The alternative is to leave the car parked on grass for 24 hours and the snake will likely leave once it feels safe.
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