The reptile, identified as a garter snake, snuck onboard the service from Tampa shortly after it landed on Monday (17 October) at Newark airport, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
As the aircraft taxied from the runway to the gate, passengers "began shrieking and pulling their feet up off the floor", according to The Guardian.
Airport animal control officers arrived at the gate when the plane arrived and removed the snake. It was later released into the wild. There were no injuries and no impact to airport operations.
