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“Snakes on a plane” took on a whole new meaning with TSA’s latest travel warning. In a Facebook post, the Transportation Security Administration made light of a situation that, if unchecked, could have had severe consequences for one flight passenger.

Along with a cleverly hidden knife inside a laptop, officers also confiscated something live, slithering, and scaly inside a CPU shell.

A Snake Hidden Inside a CPU Box

TSA is no stranger to unusual items inside carry-ons. In July, one TSA officer confiscated a strange-looking ball from a traveler’s luggage at Gulf Shores International Airport. It turned out to be a stolen piece of history in the form of a cannonball. In June, TSA was flagged after a passenger was caught lying about a “nefarious” item within their carry-on. While this turned out to be an illegal substance, the most recent TSA catch was less law-breaking and more disturbing.

During routine scans, TSA caught the first prohibited item, which was a knife carefully hidden inside a laptop. Despite the traveler’s skillful efforts to hide it, few things are safe from the prying eyes of the X-ray machine. TSA later uploaded the photo with a prompt for followers to see if they could spot the prohibited item. In the bottom left-hand corner of the X-ray, you can make out the blade, although it takes a keen eye to locate it.

The second prohibited item was a little more obvious, albeit a valiant attempt to get through the security check by the traveler. On the outside, the item appeared to be a normal CPU hard drive. Nothing was amiss, but TSA was thorough and took apart the computer to check its hollow interior — or so they thought. In the Facebook post of their findings, TSA wrote:

Things that belong in your carry-on:

• Headphones.
• Pretzels.
• A good book or two.
• A laptop.

Things that don’t belong in your carry-on:

• A laptop with a knife hidden inside it. (Can you spot it below?)
• A computer hard drive with a snake hidden inside it.
• Knives and snakes.
• Please, no more snakes.

Hidden within the CPU was what appeared to be a boa constrictor, tucked away inside what appeared to be women’s stockings. From the photo, you can see the outline of the snake curled up into a ball. The stockings are tied in a knot, so there was little chance of the snake escaping, but that chance is never zero.

It’s unclear how large the boa is or what condition it was in, but it was likely stored in the CPU for warmth. And, of course, to remain hidden from TSA officers. While they turned a serious situation into something of a playful warning, it’s still crucial to note that reptiles are prohibited from plane carry-ons.

While this passenger was simply out of luck when it came to their pet boa, some TSA fans applauded the catch while others jumped on the joke bandwagon. “Hey, that’s my emotional support snake,” one Facebook user commented. Another replied, saying, “Do you think the snake’s ears pop?”

Some brought up the “Snakes on a Plane” of it all, saying, “But how else could we make a sequel to ‘Snakes on a Plane’?” and, “Samuel L. Jackson agrees.” Interestingly enough, this is not the first time a traveler has tried to sneak a snake onto a plane in recent years.

In 2024, TSA posted on X about a 4-foot boa constrictor that was discovered in a traveler’s carry-on at Tampa International Airport in Florida.

“Our officers … didn’t find this hyssssssterical! Coiled up in a passenger’s carry-on was a 4′ boa constrictor! We really have no adder-ation for discovering any pet going through an X-ray machine,” the post read. “Do you have asp-rations of taking a snake on a plane? Don’t get upsetti spaghetti by not understanding your airline’s rules. For instance, airlines don’t allow nope ropes in carry-on bags and only a few allow them to slither around in checked bags, if packaged correctly.”

While it’s highly unlikely there’s any way to actually sneak on a “nope rope,” TSA still has strict guidelines about living animals passing through security. Even with service animals, these rules are strict, and travelers will be stopped and asked to turn around if they attempt to break them.