Snake found dead in trash can at SEPTA station

It wasn't a snake on a plane, but a snake near a train that sent authorities scrambling to SEPTA's University City Regional Rail station Friday morning.

A passerby reported seeing a snake in a trash can at the station in the 3100 block of Convention Avenue shortly before 4 a.m., SEPTA spokeswoman Heather Redfern said.

The snake was dead, and animal-control officers were called, Redfern said. The snake was coiled up in a brown trash bag, according to a photo on 6ABC's website.

Animal-control officers couldn't be immediately reached this morning. The type of snake also is not yet known.

In October, a snake on a SEPTA bus panicked passengers, prompting an emergency evacuation in West Philadelphia.

The 4-foot boa constrictor - a passenger's pet - escaped on the Route 52 bus, and a SEPTA mechanic had to dismantle a seat to enable a gloved transit officer to retrieve it. SEPTA policy allows riders to bring service animals or small, contained pets onto buses or trains.