My car, a (possibly) endangered species and wetlands preservation

I drive an environmentally friendly car. A seriously environmentally friendly vehicle.

Sure, it's a hybrid, but it's more than that.

The truth became obvious a few weeks ago when I took my 2005 Prius in for an oil change and 5,000-mile checkup. You know the drill: check fluid levels, the air filter and whatever else happens to be under the hood (I'm ignorant about cars, so I presume there's other stuff too. A power train? Maybe? I'm not sure).

Later that day, my car guy called to tell me two things:

• They'd found the nest a varmint around the engine.
• They'd removed "two or three gallons" of water from the spare tire wheel well under the hatchback.

Yeah. A small animal and two or three gallons of water.

First, the water: The volume shocked me, but the concept didn't. I knew there was a water problem in my car.

Over the past couple of winters, I've had a problem with condensation on the inside of my windows, particularly the back window. I realized I had a leak because the carpet in the back was wet.

Not soaked, just damp. I presumed the hatchback wasn't tightly sealed. It's an old car.

I had to run my defroster at full power every day. Both front and back. On some days – particularly cold days – I'd need to wipe the windows with a towel. On really, really cold days, there was ice on the inside of my back window.

So yeah, a water problem.

However, I presumed it was just a leak. I'd wait for the weather to get hot, leave my windows cracked, and all that moisture could evaporate.

I had no idea it was worse than that. I had no idea I had two or three gallons of water in the spare tire wheel well. Until I got the call.

Ugh.

The idea of a small animal nesting around my motor (or whatever a hybrid has. There's a battery and some sort of engine there. Again, I don't understand cars.) was surprising, but not shocking. I've heard similar stories from others and Mrs. Brad and I recently were gone for a month, which is when I presume the rat (squirrel? mouse? weasel? porcupine?) made its nest. Once we returned, I drove the car nearly every day and parked it in different places, so I presume the rat (raccoon? beaver? guinea pig?) had to find a new home while leaving the nest.

Fortunately, the rat (hamster? lemming? gerbil?) didn't chew through wires, so it was just a matter of removing the nest and nuts (yes! Nuts. Was it a squirrel?). And getting all that water out.

The good news? My car is fine. There's no damage from the little animal nor from the water.

The better news? My car isn't just a vehicle, it's an ecosystem. In addition to saving gas, it has provided a home for a (possibly) endangered species while serving as a water source. It's a habitat.

Next time I take it to the shop (probably next year, when I've put another 5,000 miles on it), I may ask the Environmental Protection Agency for a grant to cover the costs.

Reach Brad Stanhope at bradstanhope@outlook.com.