Venomous Snake Found in Box of Bananas at US Grocery Store

There is more to worry about when stopping by your local supermarket than the rising cost of eggs.

Imagine the face of one grocery store worker who was unpacking a shipment of bananas and spotted a venomous snake just chilling with the fruit. That’s what transpired in New Hampshire at Market Basket in Manchester as an 18-inch Ornate Cat-eyed snake was discovered.

Somehow, this isn’t the first time this has happened. And from the sounds of it, it’s not all that surprising to those who deal with these types of things. Mack Ralbovsky, who is the vice president of Rainforest Reptile Shows, told ABC News that they’ve “been dealing with these kinds of situations for over 25 years now.” Calls like these occur up to four times a year, he added. What the heck is going on with these shipments? Is no one else bothered about this?

When instances like this occur, it’s likely due to the animal attempting to find sanctuary or hide from a predator. With bananas coming from Mother Nature, there’s only so much that can be done to prevent a mildly venomous creature like this from making its way inside shipments.

Grocery Store Worker Finds a Venomous Snake in Bananas Shipment

When the employee realized there was a wild amphibian hanging out with the bananas, a conservation officer came shortly after to transfer the snake to Ralbovsky’s non-profit company, which specializes in education and interactive programs for reptiles. The snake will either reside there long-term or be transferred to a zoo or aquarium.

Local ABC affiliate, News 9, spoke with a few customers at Market Basket, who weren’t all too fond of learning a snake was spotted with the produce. One in particular said, “I have two snakes at home, that’s enough snakes for me.” The Ornate Cat-eyed snake is native to Panama, Columbia, and Ecuador, presumably where the bananas originated.

A quick search does confirm what Ralbovsky mentioned about snakes making surprise visits to grocery stores. I was terrified to learn that a Diamond Python was once caught in a Sydney, Australia market.

The video alone can serve as nightmare fuel, even if that particular species is non-venomous.