Bonus snake with fresh bagged lettuce please

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Aldi investigates after woman claims she found live snake in bag of lettuce
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Supermarket giant Aldi has launched an investigation after a Sydney woman claimed she found a live snake in a bag of lettuce.

Lesley Kuhn took to social media to warn shoppers this week after the strange discovery.

"Last night my son found a baby pale headed snake in with his baby cos lettuce from Aldi," she posted on the Facebook group Mosman Living.

"Check packaged lettuces carefully."

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Aldi says it is working with suppliers to find out how the snake got in the bag.

A Sydney woman says her son found a snake in a packaged salad bag from Aldi.
Photos show the small black and grey snake wrapped around lettuce leaves.

Aldi said it was not sure how the snake found its way into the plastic bag.

"We've worked with the customer and the team at WIRES [Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service] to identify the snake's natural habitat, which is certainly not an ALDI store," a spokesman said.

"We are working closely with our produce supplier to investigate how this incident could have possibly occurred."

The snake is being released near Toowoomba in Queensland, where the lettuce was picked.

John Grant from WIRES said the discovery was highly unusual.

“We’ve never seen anything like this,” Mr Grant said.

“We assume, and it’s only an assumption, that because it was a juvenile it was picked with the lettuce and it’s survived the whole process.”

The Australian Museum said pale headed snakes were "a shy but nervous species, and easily agitated if cornered".

They mostly live in hollowed and barky trees in New South Wales and Queensland.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-14/live-snake-found-in-aldi-supermarket-packaged-lettuce/100069396
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/snakes-and-lettuce-shoppers-in-australia-find-venomous-snake-in-aldi-fresh-produce-bag/ar-BB1fD1yv?ocid=msedgdhp

If I found such cute little bonus in my fresh bag of salad , I'd check it's not an elapid , if a python I'd be very tempted to keep it as a pet.

This one was an elapid pale-headed snake (Hoplocephalus bitorquatus)
info https://www.qm.qld.gov.au/Explore/Find+out+about/Animals+of+Queensland/Reptiles/Snakes/Common+and+dangerous+species/Pale-headed+Snake
We live in their natural range , sometimes mistaken for black snakes which means the snake often comes out of the encounter killed by the panicked person ( this is usually how the person gets nailed and human envenomation usually happens - best to give the elapid some space and let it leave off it's own accord ).

So this adds to the list of nasties found occasionally in fresh produce
pins and needles in strawberries
funnelweb spiders in cans of coke cola ( first heard of this one in the early 70s - had everyone pouring their cans of drink into paper cups and glasses for a while - including me - creeped lots of Aussies out )
funnelweb spiders in bags of lettuce / salad greens,
funnelweb spiders in bunches of grapes
red back spiders have been found too but the situation eludes me ( reuseable calico shopping bags ? )
 

CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Poor guy was probably terrified. I'm glad they were able to release it near where the lettuce was picked. I've also heard of spiders coming in on bananas and grapes. Pretty rare, but worth a check.
 

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