A British man sitting down for breakfast received a fright when a snake slithered out of his cereal box and fled into his dishwasher.

The RSPCA said Animal Collection Officer Katie Hetherington responded Saturday morning to a home in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, where a man reported a 3-foot snake had emerged from his box of cereal, reports the UPI.

‘I think he was expecting to have Cornflakes for breakfast—not Cornsnakes!’ Hetherington quipped. ‘The poor chap was absolutely terrified—I think it was the last thing he expected to find in his kitchen!’

The snake was safely removed from the man’s dishwasher and taken to a specialist center, the officer said.

The cereal-stowaway serpent was identified as a corn snake, a species native to North America but common in Britain as an exotic pet.

The RSPCA said the snake is suspected to be a runaway pet and officials are trying to find its owners.

‘Corn snakes are one of the most commonly-kept exotic pets—and they are particularly good at escaping!’ said Nicola White, RSPCA senior scientific officer in wildlife.