A Dad has ended up in Accident and Emergency after being bitten by a stowaway snake which had hitched a ride in his motorbike from a European road trip.
Dave Craker, 62, believes that he possibly picked up the venomous viper during a motorbike trip around France, Spain and Portugal.
Mr Craker's s right leg became swollen and painful during another bike ride a few weeks after he returned to Worthing, West Sussex.
He ended up in hospital where Doctors said it was likely he had been bitten by something.
A few days later, Dave began to notice a foul smell coming from his BWM R 1200 GS.
Whilst removing a panel, Dave was shocked to discover an 18-inch mangled snake.
Experts believe that the snake was likely a European viper.
Accounting firm archivist Dave said: "I'm lucky to be alive. The consultant was amazed. He said, 'You shouldn't be here'.
"He said I should have died within 48 hours. He was really surprised that I hadn't even lost my leg.
"It's unbelievable - all sorts of things could have happened. It's a deadly snake that has been in my garage for weeks."
Dave, who has two sons aged 18 and 21, planned weeks biking in Europe after treatment for cancer in March.
He crossed the Channel then travelled down through France, across the north of Spain and into Portugal.
After five days, he began to get ill and subsequently returned to the UK on July 31.
When he attended an airshow in Eastbourne on his bike on August 19, he started to experience an intense pain in his right leg.
It began to swell to such a size he couldn't move it.
Dave woke up the next day and, feeling no better, took himself to Worthing hospital.
But after ten days of antibiotics he hadn't recovered which prompted him to examine the bike and discover the culprit.
Returning to the hospital, staff agreed that the snake had bitten him and he was given an antidote, which worked.
Dave said: "I'm not good with spiders and snakes. As soon as I saw it lying there the horror hit.
"I realised that's what had bitten me - and that I'd been carrying around snake venom in my leg.
"It was 45 degrees in Portugal. The snake must have crept between the panelling and the fuel tank to keep cool.
"I guess me and my partner squashed it when we sat on the bike to go to Eastbourne.
"Or I squashed it with my leg, so it bit me. But I didn't feel it through my biking jeans.
"I was surprised to see the bike leaking because it was new. I thought it might be oil or antifreeze but it stank and now I know it was from the dead snake.
"It's so bizarre to think I survived cancer and was then nearly taken out by a stowaway snake on my motorcycle."
An expert at the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust, a UK-based charity, studied a picture of the snake.
They said: "It could be one of a few viper species: Seoane’s Viper aka the Iberian Cross Adder/Portuguese Viper (Vipera seoanei), or an Asp Viper (Vipera aspis) or Lataste’s Viper (Vipera latastei).
"I’d lean more towards the first two as the snake doesn’t seem to have an upturned/pointed nose.
"That being said, viper markings and colouration can be incredibly variable.
"This animal looks very similar to our own species of viper, the adder (Vipera berus) and is indeed somewhat closely related."
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