Venomous snake found in banana shipment at New Hampshire grocery store

The animal was rehomed at a Massachusetts organization that houses reptiles.

By Marc Fortier • Published February 16, 2025 • Updated on February 16, 2025 at 1:47 pm

A venomous snake was found in a banana shipment at a New Hampshire grocery store on Saturday, according to state wildlife officials.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department said in a Facebook post Sunday that one of their conservation officers responded to an unnamed local grocery store in southern New Hampshire on Saturday after employees discovered an "unwanted hitchhiker" in a shipment of bananas.

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The "hitchhiker" turned out to be an Ornate Cat-eyed Snake, a mildly venomous snake species native to Ecuador, the fish and game department said. They said it was unharmed and rehomed with Rainforest Reptile Shows in Massachusetts.

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