After a trip to the supermarket for groceries, a man returned home unwittingly accompanied by a snake. It wasn't until the reptile had settled in amongst his food that he became aware of its presence.
Neville Linton, aged 63, purchased a bag of broccoli from an Aldi store in Stourbridge, England, last month. He stored it in his fridge and retrieved it three days later to prepare a meal.
However, as he unwrapped the broccoli, the man quickly noticed the unexpected guest. Keep scrolling to discover how the situation unfolded and don't overlook our conversation with Dr. Steven J R Allain, also known as The Pop-Punk Herpetologist.
Here's the rephrased version:
- In southwestern Europe, a snake exploring a broccoli field found itself unintentionally packaged and shipped to a British supermarket.
- Neville Linton, 63, unsuspectingly took the snake home along with his bag of vegetables.
- Local zoo specialists identified the snake as a young ladder snake.
- However, herpetologist Dr. Steven J R Allain suggests it could be a viperine water snake.
- Neville is seeking compensation for the ordeal.
- The story gained attention in the local news, eliciting various reactions from people.
Unaware, Neville Linton, aged 63, inadvertently picked up the snake along with a bag of vegetables and brought the reptile home.
Neville, who works in industrial cleaning, was astonished.
"It was quite terrifying. I'm not comfortable with snakes," he admitted. "Thankfully, I didn't just leave the broccoli lying around in the kitchen; otherwise, it would have been roaming freely in the house."
"That would have posed a significant risk for us since we have two vulnerable individuals living here."
After realizing that the creature was too large to be a caterpillar, he reached out to his sister, Ann-Marie Tenkanemin, for assistance, and she confirmed it was a snake.
Together, they placed it in a container and returned to the Aldi store on Dudley Road, where Neville had made the purchase.
"At first, I thought she was joking, but I stepped back when I saw it start to move. The store employee was quite alarmed too," he recounted.
The snake was transported to a nearby zoo, where specialists concluded that it was a juvenile ladder snake.
However, herpetologist Dr. Steven J R Allain has raised the possibility that it could be a viperine water snake.
The reptile was transferred 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 expressed doubts.
“After reviewing the photo of the snake in the broccoli, I'm uncertain if the zoo correctly identified the species,” Allain stated. “In my professional opinion, the snake appears to be a viperine water snake (Natrix maura), a harmless fish-eating species found in southwestern Europe and northern Africa.”
Allain, a zoology graduate from Anglia Ruskin University with a Master’s degree from Imperial College London, is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Kent. His research primarily focuses on barred grass snake (Natrix helvetica) population ecology and the impacts of ophidiomycosis, with additional interests in amphibian disease and population ecology.
“Considering that a significant portion of food consumed in the UK originates from the Mediterranean region, it's unsurprising to encounter a species from this area in vegetables likely cultivated there. In my view, the snake was probably traversing the field when it was inadvertently picked up by agricultural equipment and sought shelter within the broccoli.”
The journey to the UK and then to Neville’s home took some time. Allain mentioned that these snakes can go for a couple of months without food, and the cool temperature of the fridge would have slowed its metabolism, reducing its energy needs.
“However, it couldn’t have been comfortable,” he remarked. “Especially the sudden shift from the warm Mediterranean climate to a refrigerator, necessary to preserve the broccoli.”
“Viperine water snakes pose no threat to humans, as they primarily prey on fish and frogs. They typically feign death rather than bite when threatened and are considered non-venomous to humans.”
“I understand this must have been distressing for Neville, particularly for someone with a fear of snakes. However, a more positive response could stem from wider education and understanding of snakes, including how to handle such situations,” Allain suggested. “It’s not the snake’s fault for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but hopefully, its new home at Dudley Zoo can help dispel some of these fears.”
Neville is seeking compensation for the ordeal he had to endure.
Neville has been offered compensation but is pushing for more.
The father of three expressed dissatisfaction with the amount offered, citing concerns for his disabled son and vulnerable mother-in-law, who reside in the same household.
“It’s simply inadequate,” he remarked. “The potential consequences for us if the snake had escaped into the house are significant. Moreover, as someone with a snake phobia, there's also the emotional toll to consider.”
An Aldi spokesperson stated: “Our supplier has never encountered a complaint of this nature and has stringent procedures in place to prevent such incidents.”
“We are investigating this rare occurrence and have extended our apologies to Mr. Linton for failing to meet our usual high standards.”
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