Not What I Expected

[Outnumbered]

Went down to the barn to grab the tractor and haul some supplies down to the back field. Hopped on the tractor and turned the key, once the glow plug light went out I cranked the engine and heard all kinds of noise and slapping around that was clearly not normal (and I am hard of hearing). The engine started and I immediately cut it off as I knew something had happened. I opened the hood and could see something around the radiator fan shaft. I thought I don't remember the fan belt being that wide and went to grab some tools and a light as it is shaded pretty good in the barn. Once I had my light I discovered what the problem was. A 4 foot black snake must have been resting up in the radiator shroud when the fan blade grabbed him up and spun him around like a noodle. No damage to the tractor but the snake did not fare the same. Oh well, live in the country is never dull.

 

[Lil Foot]

Been there, done that.
Had the exact same thing happen with a Toyota LandCruiser and a cat. Hope it was quick for the cat, because the cleanup wasn't.

 

[Nicfin36]

I keep the hood up on my tractor to discourage critters from getting in it. Poor snake.

 

[S-G-R]

Glad there was no damage to your tractor.

 

[bearbait]

Been there, done that.
Had the exact same thing happen with a Toyota LandCruiser and a cat. Hope it was quick for the cat, because the cleanup wasn't.

Had the same thing happen when my wife and I were first going together. We were at her parents house when the neighbor across the street came over and asked me if I'd mind taking what was left of their cat from under the hood of his car, not pretty.

Couple days ago I was moving one of my wood piles and when I lifted a couple logs 3 or 4 young garter snakes made me step back a bit. I don't mind snakes at all, well at least the kind we have here but for some reason they always make me jump back a bit when they take me by surprise. I ended up catching three of them and relocating them to the new pile, a happy ending this time.

 

[Mark_BX25D]

Couple days ago I was moving one of my wood piles and when I lifted a couple logs 3 or 4 young garter snakes made me step back a bit. I don't mind snakes at all, well at least the kind we have here but for some reason they always make me jump back a bit when they take me by surprise.

I hear ya! I stepped on a huge black rat snake the other day. Neither of us enjoyed the experience, and both of us demonstrated impressive acceleration.

 

[Spikes]

When I was (much) younger I worked at a chicken plant. It was a regular thing during the winter to remove cat parts from the worker's cars - the cats liked to hang around for the chicken bits that were everywhere.
Not a fun job at all.

 

[Mudball]

Thats a funny story about that snake and glad that noise wasnt your tractor. I love seeing black snakes in my shed due to the mice.

 

[Ingi]

My father's favorite joke, from Copenhagen Denmark were he grew up. Two competing sausage makers competing for market share and one losing out. So they sent a spy to the other one. The spy wrote a report. 5 o'clock in the morning they start the machines, making sure not to turn on the lights, so they their sausage actually has some meat in it.