Venomous Snake Found Inside Fresh Produce Bag In Australian Store

An Australian couple had a close shave after finding a venomous snake inside a fresh produce bag they purchased in a supermarket.

It was revealed to be a juvenile pale-headed snake, Hoplocephalus bitorquatus, a very poisonous snake that was 20 cm long, per The Guardian. It was tucked into a two-pack of cos lettuce purchased by Alexander White in an Aldi supermarket in Sydney.

“It was moving around and flicking its little tongue out,” White said. “It was actually its tongue which let me know it wasn’t a giant worm. I would have been more comfortable with a worm, to be honest.”

Fortunately, the snake was in deep slumber inside the market's refrigerator. White only realized the situation after coming home from a 10-minute bike ride.

“We didn’t have a trolley because neither of us had a dollar coin so we were just carrying it – in retrospect that kind of freaked me out,” White said.

Experts describe pale-headed snakes as “shy but nervous species, easily agitated if cornered”. Thankfully, no casualty has yet to be reported caused by the venomous snake.

After everything has settled down, White even said he found the snake kind of cute and he even showed it to his children who were away through video call.

Meanwhile, an unnamed staff member of the famous San Diego Zoo had to be hospitalized after they were bitten by a viper. The zookeeper had been working with the animal on Monday, April 12 when the incident occurred. The absence of any known anti-venom for the snake’s bite makes the situation highly sensitive.

San Diego Zoo is home to a long list of animals from around the world, including a number of venomous reptiles. Specialized care for each of the animals is provided by the employees of the zoo. Wildlife care specialists at the zoo work closely with the animals to ensure their health. One of these wildlife care specialists became the victim of a snake bite.

The person, whose identity has not been revealed by the zoo authorities, was working closely with the African bush viper, the scientific name for which is Atheris squamigera. In their statement, the establishment said that the incident took place away from the public. No visitors witnessed the snake strike the employee. The visitors were also not at any risk.

The statement also added that the snake was safely contained and there were no risks of it escaping, the New York Post reported. It is not known what the keeper was doing when they got bitten by the animal.

Speaking to PEOPLE, a spokesperson of the zoo said that while such events were rare, the zoo has strict protocols that they followed for the safety of the employee. They were removed from the zoo and taken to a hospital. At the hospital, medical experts evaluated and started treating the snakebite victim. The zoo claims that they are in touch with the victim of the snake bite.

Treatment for the snake bite is complicated as there are no known antivenoms. The hemotoxic venom attacks red blood cells and prevents blood clotting. On their website, the University of Michigan's Museum of Zoology, detailed that venom could cause organ failure and death in humans. A study by the American College of Medical Toxicology reported that alternative antivenoms could be used for treatment. With the help of timely treatment, the effect of the venom can be stalled and the life of the snake bite victim can be saved.

Further details of the victim’s condition remain unknown.