A bunch of bananas at a New Hampshire grocery store hid a slithering stowaway last week, a scaly story that might get adapted for the big screen as “Snakes on a Plantain.”
Employees at a Market Basket in Manchester got an unexpected surprise on Saturday when they discovered a hissing hitchhiker nestled among their shipment of bananas, according to a press release from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Law Enforcement Division.
NH Fish and Game conservation officer Griffin McKeown told ABC News affiliate WMUR that he spoke to an employee at the grocery store who made the unusual discovery.
“Luckily for us, he seemed to be pretty familiar with snakes,” McKeown said.
The unwelcome traveler was an approximately 1.5-foot-long Ornate Cat-eyed Snake, a mildly venomous species native to Ecuador, according to NH Fish and Game Law Enforcement Division. McKeown noted to WMUR that New Hampshire law prohibits the possession of any venomous snake aside from the hog-nosed snake.
“We’ve had a few calls about pet surrenders of ball pythons and stuff like that, but never, never a venomous snake,” McKeown said to WMUR. “That’s definitely a first for me.”
NH Fish and Game Law Enforcement Division said that the snake was unharmed and has since been rehomed in a Rainforest Reptile Shows Inc., an educational organization specializing in exotic animal care.
Mack Ralbovsky, vice president of Rainforest Reptile Shows Inc., updated NBC News on what’s next for their latest addition.
“This new hitchhiker friend will remain with Rainforest Reptile Shows and RRS Oasis for the remainder of its life,” Ralbovsky said. “However, it is a venomous species, so we take extreme precautions when bringing them out for these outreach events.“
Ralbovsky also assures consumers that they have nothing to worry about.
“Snakes in shipments are relatively uncommon and it not something that consumers need to be concerned about,” Ralbovsky explained. “When any shipments come from tropical places, there is a chance that hitchhikers could be on board. However, it is typically small lizards, like anoles, frogs, or invertebrates.”
Rainforest Reptile Inc. plans to post a video on their Facebook and YouTube to update folks on how their newest addition is doing, and folks will have the opportunity to vote on its name.
The company on Facebook thanked officials “for ensuring a smooth and quick transition for our newest animal resident!”
“The Cat-eyed Snake that arrived today is a specialized species from Panama, Ecuador, and Colombia that primarily feeds on amphibians and lizards,” it said. “As a nocturnal species, its care requires extra expertise and attention.”
