Black rat snake found inside bag of popcorn at Virginia store

Aug. 1 (UPI) -- A shopper at a Virginia store was taking a bag of popcorn with a hole in it to the front of the business when a snake poked its head out from inside the snack container.

Kimberly Slaughter said she was at Shoppers Value in Kenbridge when she noticed a bag of popcorn had a hole in the upper right corner.

"As soon as I went to put the bag in my basket to take it up front, because you know, they can't sell it. The thing had popped out, and you know, I was like, 'Oh, well, hi,'" Slaughter told WTVR-TV.

Photos Slaughter posted to Facebook show the "thing" in question was a live snake.

Slaughter said the snake slithered out of the bag and around her cart before going back into the hole.

"It was the full length of the cart," Slaughter said. "It had prime real estate though."

Brian Stanley, manager of Shoppers Value, said the reptile was a small black snake. The snake was removed from the store by an employee.

"We have no idea where it came from," Stanley said. "We are investigating trying to find out where it came from, but we have no other indication that there could be any others."

Black rat snakes are native to Virginia, but are not commonly found in bags of grocery store popcorn.