An EWB-UK volunteer got more than she bargained for when she returned from an overseas research project in Brazil.

Sachi Findlater, the training coordinator at EWB-UK, went to Brazil as part of her forth year engineering degree at Cambridge University and was shocked to discover a baby snake had hitched a ride back to England in her rucksack.

Albert, as he has become affectionately known, is believed to be a baby boa constrictor and measuresjust 9 inches in length and half an inch in width.

Although she returned from Brazil over two and a half weeks ago, Findlater didn't discover the snake until yesterday when she was unpacking her bag in France visiting family.

"Well, I was certainly very surprised", she said, "It's not everyday a snake drops out of your t-shirt".

" I must admit I had a bit of girly moment and a small shriek, but then my thoughts were more along the lines of 'Oh, there's a very tiny and adorable snake on my floor' so I went and got a bowl to put over him while I figured out what to do".

Common in Brazil and Northern South America, boa constrictors are a non-venomous variety of snake that suffocates its prey by wrapping its body around it.

Although on average they can grow to a length of 10 feet, specimens have been found that are over 18 feet in length.

"I would quite like to keep him", said Findlater, "But I don't think my flatmate is too keen".

Findlater, who spent a month in Brazil researching the current and future development of industry in the country, thinks the snake crawled into her bag when she took a two week trip to the jungle.

And what next for Albert?

"I think the next step is identifying him to find out what type of snake he is", she said, "and then to find him a good home where he will be looked after".