Snake in an ATM: Shocked customer is dispensed a hissing reptile along with his cash

• Man at bank in northern Spain grabbed his money without getting bitten

Most of us dread visiting a cash machine at one time or another.

But instead of being shocked by the state of his bank balance, this customer was surprised to be dispensed a vicious snake along with his cash.

The middle-aged man had stopped at the ATM outside the Caja Madrid bank in Llodio, in Spain's northern Basque Country, on his way to work.

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Surprise: A customer using an ATM outside the Caja Madrid bank in Llodio, in Spain's northern Basque Country, was stunned to be dispensed a snake with his money

Hissing: After police were called to the scene, an officer taunted the snake with his baton

Despite being greeted by a hissing snake that tried to bite him, he managed to grab his money before calling the police.

The video below shows a police officer taunting the snake with his baton.

With the help of the bank manager, officers discovered that the snake was trapped by the bank-note ejection mechanism.

Angry: The snake was trapped by the bank-note ejection mechanism

Trapped: But after the snake was freed it was put in a box and taken to an animal shelter

Eventually the manager was able to free the snake by activating the machine from the inside. It was then put into a box and taken to a shelter.

Police have not ruled out the possibility that someone may have put the reptile in the cash machine for a prank.

However, as the ATM is in a rural area it is feasible the snake got there on its own accord.