Pretoria - South African Gordon Parratt and his wife drove for 170 kilometres aware that a deadly spitting cobra was in their car - but not knowing exactly where, it was reported Wednesday.

Parratt felt the 85-centimetre-long snake against his leg several times during the drive from the Kruger National Park, and at one point "the snake wound itself around my left leg and ankle - its head came up to my knee," Beeld newspaper quoted him as saying.

"Fortunately I'm not the panicky type. My wife immediately put her feet up on the dashboard," Parratt added.

The couple eventually called in a snake expert, Hein Geldenhuys, who was able to locate it. "Fortunately I managed to catch the snake without injuring it," Geldenhuys said. (dpa)