Florida deputy removes snake from under car hood

March 26 (UPI) -- A Florida sheriff's deputy conducted an unusual animal rescue when a resident discovered a snake under the hood of their car.

The Lee County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post that Sgt. James Van Pelt responded to a Lehigh Acres home at which a resident reported a "15-20 foot python" was entangled in the engine compartment of their car.

Van Pelt, who is a state-licensed python contractor, arrived at the home to discover the snake was much smaller than reported, and actually was a red rat snake.

The snake was "soaking up heat in the engine bay" when Van Pelt carefully removed it.

The sheriff's office said Van Pelt released the snake into a nearby wooded area.