A motorist in Murrieta, California, encountered an aggressive rattlesnake lurking inside the gearbox of a gate.

Footage captured by @printsignsquick's dashcam shows the driver approaching the gearbox after the gate failed to fully open.

Another clip reveals what was causing the issue - a 4-foot-long rattlesnake.

The filmer told Newsflare about her encounter: "I was coming home from the vet with my dog and pulled up to our driveway gate, I entered the code and the gate opened about 3 feet and suddenly stopped.

"I got out of my truck to check the gate but left the truck running because my dog was in it and the AC was on. I walked through the side gate and up to the gearbox, which was covered by a 2-foot tall plastic cover.

"I had to pull straight up on the cover for it to go past the gate gear mechanism before I could even start backing up.

"Once I started to lower the cover, I could actually see the gate gears and the rattlesnake hissing and striking! I cannot believe that I was standing within inches of that rattlesnake as I lifted the cover up!

"I immediately reached for my phone in my back pocket and started to video and zoom in on the snake. I could see that it was clearly stuck in the gears and felt somewhat safe approaching it to see if I could try and get it out.

"Once I saw that it was injured I flagged down a passing neighbour to see if he could help. The 4-foot-long rattlesnake continued to hiss and rattle and snap at us and bite its own tail. What a close call! It’s rattlesnake season!"

This clip was filmed on April 6.

I was coming home from the vet with my dog and pulled up to our driveway gate, I entered the code and the gate opened about 3 feet and suddenly stopped.

I got out of my truck to check the gate, but left the truck running because my dog was in it and the AC was on. I walked through the side gate and up to the gearbox, which was covered by a 2 foot tall plastic cover.

I had to pull straight up on the cover for it to go passed the gate gear mechanism before I could even start backing up.

Once I started to lower the cover, I could actually see the gate gears and the rattlesnake hissing and striking! I cannot believe that I was standing within inches of that rattlesnake as I lifted the cover up!

I immediately reached for my phone in my back pocket and started to video and zoom in on the snake. I could see that it was clearly stuck in the gears and felt somewhat safe approaching it to see if I could try and get it out.

Once I saw that it was injured I flagged down a passing neighbor to see if he could help. The four foot long rattlesnake continued to hiss and rattle and snap at us and bite its own tail. What a close call! It’s rattlesnake season!



Jake the Rattlesnake stuck in the gate gears! He was probably looking for someplace warm and ended up in the gate gearbox. And I was just trying to reset the driveway gate because it had suddenly stopped.