Moira Boxall, who discovered the reptile hidden in her suitcase, initially thought it was a toy.

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Scottish grandmother Moira Boxall returned from a trip to Australia to discover a snake curled up inside a shoe in her suitcase.

The reptile, which had smuggled itself onto her 9,000-mile flight from Queensland to Glasgow, had begun shedding its skin during the journey.

Paul Airlie, Ms Boxall's son-in-law, told Australian broadcaster ABC News that the grandmother had initially mistaken the creature for a toy placed in her luggage as a prank.

After realising the snake was real, she covered the shoe with a box and called Airlie, who contacted the Scottish SPCA.
Scottish SPCA animal rescue officer Taylor Johnstone said: "I can confirm that we removed a snake from a property in Bridge of Allan.


"I responded to a call from a woman who had just returned from a holiday in Australia who had found a small snake inside her shoe in her suitcase.


"When I arrived, the snake had been contained by the caller, so I safely removed the snake from the property."