A man visiting a supermarket for his usual grocery shopping unexpectedly brought home more than just food—he unknowingly transported a snake. It wasn’t until the snake made itself comfortable with his food that the man, Neville Linton, 63, realized what had happened. Linton, who lives in Stourbridge, England, purchased a bag of broccoli from an Aldi store. The broccoli sat in his fridge for three days before he discovered the surprise guest when he was about to prepare a meal.

The discovery occurred as Neville unwrapped the broccoli and was greeted by a slithering snake, much to his horror. Continue reading for the full story, and check out our interview with Dr. Steven J R Allain, also known as The Pop-Punk Herpetologist.

The snake, native to southwestern Europe, somehow ended up in a broccoli field, which was later harvested and transported to a British supermarket. Neville, unknowingly, brought the snake home along with his groceries.

Linton, who works in industrial cleaning, couldn’t believe his eyes. “It was terrifying. I’m not good with snakes,” he said. “It’s a good thing I didn’t leave the broccoli out on the counter, or the snake might have escaped into the house.”

He added, “That would have been risky for us, especially since I live with two vulnerable people—my disabled son and my elderly mother-in-law.”

Initially mistaking the snake for a caterpillar, Neville called his sister, Ann-Marie Tenkanemin, for help. She quickly identified it as a snake. Together, they managed to contain the reptile in a container and returned it to the Aldi store on Dudley Road, where Neville had bought the broccoli. “At first, I thought my sister was kidding, but I backed away when I saw it moving,” he said. “The store clerk was pretty scared, too.”

The snake was then taken to a local zoo, where experts identified it as a juvenile ladder snake. However, herpetologist Dr. Steven J R Allain suspects it might actually be a viperine water snake.

Dr. Allain, an expert in reptiles, expressed his doubts about the zoo’s identification after examining a photo of the snake. He believes it could be a viperine water snake, a harmless species common in southwestern Europe and northern Africa that typically preys on fish.

Allain, who holds a degree in zoology from Anglia Ruskin University and a Master’s from Imperial College London, is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Kent. His research focuses on the population ecology of barred grass snakes and the effects of ophidiomycosis, a fungal disease affecting snakes. Given that many vegetables sold in the UK come from the Mediterranean, Allain suggested it’s not uncommon for creatures like this snake to accidentally end up in produce. “The snake likely found itself in a broccoli field and was inadvertently picked up by farming equipment,” he said.

The journey from the Mediterranean to the UK, and eventually to Neville’s fridge, took some time. However, Dr. Allain noted that these snakes can survive for several months without food, and the cold environment of the fridge likely slowed its metabolism.

“Though the snake probably wasn’t comfortable, the cold would have kept it in a low-energy state,” he said. “Viperine water snakes pose no threat to humans—they only harm fish or frogs. In fact, they’re more likely to play dead than bite if threatened, and they are non-venomous to humans.”

Dr. Allain added, “While I understand Neville’s distress, especially with his fear of snakes, better education about these creatures could help prevent such fear. The snake was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and it’s fortunate that it now has a new home at Dudley Zoo.”

Meanwhile, Neville is pursuing further compensation for the ordeal. Though Aldi provided an initial offer, he feels it doesn’t account for the potential danger to his vulnerable family members. “It’s just not enough,” he said. “If the snake had gotten loose in the house, the consequences could have been serious, especially with my phobia of snakes.”

An Aldi spokesperson commented: “We’ve never had a complaint like this before, and we have strict procedures in place to prevent such incidents. We are investigating and have apologized to Mr. Linton for not meeting our usual high standards.”