‘Sneaky passenger’ pops up on car as Missouri mom drives son to practice. See it
A mother was driving her son to baseball practice in Missouri when she met eyes with an unexpected — and scaly — stowaway.
A small head popped up from the hood of the car and startled LeAnna Binkley as she navigated the roads.
The “sneaky passenger” was identified as a coachwhip snake, the Missouri Department of Conservation said in a May 17 Facebook post.
Binkley, of Eugene, and her son tried to “chase” the snake away from the vehicle, but it persistently ducked back into the warmth of the vehicle.
Later, the woman drove to a school, where she is a teacher, for assistance in removing the slithery creature.
Teachers and the school superintendent helped safely remove the snake from her car, conservationists said.
“Snakes can be attracted to the warmth of the engine compartment, especially after a drive, and they like dark, enclosed spaces,” the department said.
Coachwhip snakes are “one of Missouri’s longest snakes,” according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. Adults can grow up to five feet.
The species stays in the Ozarks area of the southern part of the state, according to the department.
Eugene is about a 150-mile drive southwest from St. Louis.
This story was originally published May 22, 2025 at 9:52 AM with the headline "‘Sneaky passenger’ pops up on car as Missouri mom drives son to practice. See it."
