A stowaway snake managed to hitch a ride from Mexico to Scotland by slithering onto a plane unnoticed.
Animal rescuers from the Scottish SPCA were called in when staff discovered the creature under a row of seats in the passenger cabin when the plane landed at Glasgow airport on Tuesday.
The 18-inch snake, which travelled almost 5,000 miles from Cancun, has been named Furtivo, which means "sly" or "stealthy" in Spanish.
It was safely contained in a box and is now being cared for at the charity's Glasgow Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre in Cardonald by senior inspector Billy Linton.
Mr Linton, who has more than 30 years' experience as a zookeeper, said airport staff were "remarkably calm".
He said: "We have had the snake examined by a vet and, although we can't be 100% certain, we believe he is of the Dryadophis family, which are commonly referred to as American smooth-scaled racers.
"Racers aren't venomous but, like all snakes, they can bite and Furtivo is very feisty. Although small at the moment, he is still a juvenile and has a lot of growing to do.
"The staff at Glasgow Airport remained remarkably calm when faced with what must have been a rather unwelcome passenger.
"I can only imagine that Furtivo managed to sneak his way onto the plane while it was waiting to take off in Cancun, although it is also possible he has hitched a lift in someone's hand luggage.
"We have rescued several exotic creatures from international flights, including scorpions, spiders, turtles and even giant land snails, so this isn't as unusual as many people might think. Furtivo will remain in our care until we can find him an expert home with someone who has the necessary experience and knowledge to be able to look after such a creature."
