A snake has been found clinging to a pineapple bought at a supermarket in Edinburgh.

The reptile had wrapped itself around around the crown of the fruit during its 5300-mile journey from Costa Rica.

The snake was discovered after the pineapple was bought from Aldi on Gilmerton Road on Tuesday.

The buyer alerted the Scottish SPCA, who took him into their care and named him Ricky.

They have been unable to identify Ricky's species but he is only a few inches long.

Animal rescue officer Catherine Atterton said, "It's not every day that we get called out to attend to snakes found in peculiar places.

"I know not long ago there was a wee lizard found on a head of broccoli so I was quite excited to see what had stowed away on this pineapple.

"We named him Ricky as he's come all the way from Costa Rica. As yet he's not been identified but he's in a good condition and is now being cared for by experts at Butterfly World in Edinburgh.

"We're glad we were called out, as without proper care Ricky wouldn't survive our climate."

Aldi said it is the first time an incident like it has been reported.

A spokeswoman said: "All our fresh pineapples are transported in cold storage with additional processes in place to prevent such issues occurring.

"We are investigating this isolated incident with our supplier to understand how this could have happened."