A man went to a supermarket to buy groceries and ended up bringing home a snake without realizing it until the reptile emerged near his food. Last month, 63-year-old Neville Linton purchased a bag of broccoli from an Aldi store in Stourbridge, England. He stored it in his fridge and discovered the snake when he went to prepare a meal three days later. Read on to find out more about what happened and don’t miss our conversation with Dr. Steven J R Allain, also known as The pop-punk Herpetologist. The snake, which likely wandered into a broccoli field in southwestern Europe, ended up being packed and shipped to a British supermarket.
Neville, who works in industrial cleaning, couldn’t believe his eyes. “It was quite scary. I’m not comfortable with snakes,” he said. “I’m glad I didn’t just leave the broccoli out in the kitchen, or it would have been roaming around the house.” “That would have been a big risk for us because we have two vulnerable people living here.” Once he realized the creature was too large to be a caterpillar, he called his sister Ann-Marie Tenkanemin for help, and she identified it as a snake. The two put it in a container and returned to the Aldi store on Dudley Road where Neville made the purchase. “At first, I thought she was joking, but I stepped back when I saw it start to move. The guy in the shop was pretty scared too,” he said.
The snake was transported to a nearby zoo, where experts identified it as a juvenile ladder snake.
However, herpetologist Dr. Steven J R Allain suspects it could be a viperine water snake.
The reptile was taken to Dudley Zoo, where the staff identified it as a young ladder snake. However, Bored Panda reached out to Dr. Steven J R Allain, who holds a degree in zoology from Anglia Ruskin University, a Master’s degree from Imperial College London, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Kent. Allain expressed his disagreement, stating, “Having reviewed the [actual] photo of the snake in the broccoli, I am not sure the zoo identified the species correctly. To my expert eyes, the snake is, in fact, a viperine water snake (Natrix maura), which is a harmless fish-eating species found throughout southwestern Europe and northern Africa.” He further explained, “Seeing as a large portion of the food grown and imported into the United Kingdom comes from the Mediterranean region, it is no surprise to find a species from this area turning up in some vegetables likely grown there.
In my opinion, the snake was likely moving through the field at the time, before being scooped up by agricultural equipment, then seeking refuge within the broccoli.” Allain’s current research primarily focuses on barred grass snake (Natrix helvetica) population ecology and the effects of ophidiomycosis, with additional interests in amphibian disease and population ecology.
The journey to the UK and then to Neville’s home took some time, but Allain mentioned that these snakes can go for a couple of months without food, and the cool temperature of the fridge would have slowed down its metabolism, reducing its energy needs. “However, I can’t imagine it would have been comfortable,” he added. “Especially with the rapid transition from the warm Mediterranean climate to a refrigerator, all to keep the broccoli fresh.” “Viperine water snakes are only dangerous if you’re a fish (or a frog). They don’t bite humans as a defense mechanism (they prefer to play dead), and they are considered non-venomous to humans.” “I understand this must have been a distressing time for Neville (especially for someone afraid of snakes), but a more positive reaction could have been possible through greater education and understanding of snakes and how to handle situations like this,” Allain said. “It’s not the snake’s fault it ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time, but hopefully, its new home at Dudley Zoo can help dispel these fears of snakes.”
Neville wants to be compensated for going through all of this.
Neville has been offered compensation but is pushing for more. The father-of-three believes the amount offered isn’t fair, especially considering the risk to his disabled son and vulnerable mother-in-law who live with him. “It’s just not good enough,” he emphasized. “The implications for us if it had gotten loose in the house are enormous. Plus, I’m phobic of snakes, so there’s the emotional impact of that too.” An Aldi spokesperson stated, “Our supplier has never received a complaint of this nature and has robust processes in place to prevent such issues.” “We are investigating this isolated incident and have apologized to Mr. Linton that our usual high standards were not met.”
Once the local news aired the story, there was a variety of reactions from people.
In the aftermath of the incident, the local news coverage sparked a range of reactions from the public. Some expressed sympathy for Neville’s unsettling discovery, while others shared their own anecdotes or offered advice on handling similar situations. A few individuals found humor in the unusual circumstances, turning the story into a topic of light-hearted conversation. Regardless of the response, the incident served as a reminder of the unexpected surprises that can occur in everyday life.
Q: How did the snake end up in the bag of broccoli?
A: It’s probable that the snake wandered into the broccoli field, where it was unintentionally gathered and packaged alongside the vegetables.
Q: Did the snake possess venom?
A: The snake found in Neville’s broccoli was non-venomous and posed no danger to humans. Its diet mainly consists of fish and frogs.