A British man, Neville Linton, purchased broccoli from Aldi only to discover an unexpected guest, a snake, when he unwrapped the vegetables at home. Linton, not a fan of snakes, found the situation frightening, especially considering vulnerable individuals in his household. Realizing the creature was too large to be a caterpillar, he sought help from his sister, who identified it as a snake.
The reptile, believed by Aldi staff to be a young ladder snake, was transported to Dudley Zoo. However, herpetologist Dr. Steven J R Allain disputes this identification, suggesting it is a harmless viperine water snake commonly found in southwestern Europe and northern Africa. Allain explained that snakes from the Mediterranean region can end up in imported vegetables, possibly scooped up by agricultural equipment during field movement.
