Snake swallows gear shift knob, makes full recovery

GAITHERSBURG, Md. - A rat snake in Maryland swallowed a gear shift knob hole in "one of the most unusual cases" a local animal rescue center has ever seen. 

Second Chance Wildlife Center in Gaithersburg shared on their Facebook page that the rat snake appeared initially to have swallowed something that looked like an egg. 

"This is common in rat snakes, as golf balls and decoy eggs are often mistaken for fresh chicken eggs," said Second Chance Wildlife Center. "In this case, the object had been trapped in the snake’s stomach so long that there was a hole worn through the snake’s skin."

The snake had to undergo surgery to remove the foreign object – which was found to be a gear shift knob! 

The snake's stomach was sutured and the hold on the snake's underside was repaired. 

"The snake has been recovering with us since surgery and has made a full recovery," said the center. "She’ll spend the rest of winter with us and will finally return home in spring!"