Supermarket workers were stunned when they found a snake in a box of food.
They found the reptile nestled in a box of borage salad leaves stored in a fridge at a store in Zaragoza, Spain.
They took a snap of the foot-long creature and posted it to social media yesterday (11 April), as reported by Need To Know.
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A spokesperson for the co-op supermarket, A Vecinal, said: “Check your receipt if you’ve bought borage lately because you might have been weighed an extra snake, like this one!
“Jokes aside, this beauty appeared in the box of borage, snugly tucked in the fridge.
“After the initial scare, we put her in a jar (she’s small, measuring a foot) and she’s back in the field.
“Do you know what it’s called or what species it might be?”
One social media user, Carmen, commented: “That encounter is synonymous with top-notch veggies, locally sourced and in a biodiverse environment. I’d definitely raise the price on that borage.”
Marialis wrote: “Nature in its purest form, indeed! But if I found it in my fridge at home, I’d have a heart attack! I would love to see the look on my kids’ faces.”
Jorge warned: “Triangular head. Watch out, it bites.”
And Yosi guessed: “Probably a natrix maura. They’re often found near irrigation ditches because they primarily feed on frogs and toads.”
The natrix maura, or viperine snake, is a finely built snake most often seen in or near water.
They usually don’t exceed 70cm in length but can occasionally reach one metre.
They’re found in south-western Europe and north-western Africa and are still plentiful in the wild.
They are not poisonous and avoid human contact when they can.
Borage is a plant with star-shaped blue flowers.
The young leaves taste a bit like cucumber and are sometimes used in salads or as seasoning.
READ MORE: VIDEO: Highly-venomous snakes found mating on family’s doorstep
