A venomous copperhead snake was found this morning inside a Mineola body shop, much to the shock of the owner.

Efrain Cruiz made the discovery as he was opening up for the day. The 2-foot-long snake had just caught a rat, so Cruiz and a worker were able to gingerly scoop it with a shovel and place it in a storage container.

“I don't deal with snakes. I don't like snakes,” he told News 12 Long Island.

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Nassau SPCA officials say the copperhead is not native to Long Island and its bite is potentially fatal.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation and the Nassau County SPCA say they are not sure where this snake came from, but they are now launching an investigation.

Detective Gary Rogers, of the Nassau SPCA, speculated that it may have come from an illegal trader of exotic pets.

Nassau SPCA officials took custody of snake and are offering a $5,000 reward for information about the snake's owner. They say the snake will be transported to a venomous snake specialist in Massachusetts.