No snakes on this plane: Boy, 10, is forced to take his shirt off before boarding a flight because it had a picture of a reptile on it

A family claims their 10-year-old son was forced to change his t-shirt before boarding a flight because it had a snake on it.

Stevie Lucas was on a family trip from New Zealand to South Africa to visit his grandparents on December 17.

His parents Steve and Marga said security officers at Johannesburg airport told them snake toys and printed clothing was not allowed on board.

The stated reason was that it could, in their determination, harm passengers or crew by causing anxiety, according to local media.

Ms Lucas told her son to turn his black t-shirt, which has a large green snake coming from over the shoulder, inside out to avoid any further drama.

Airport security footage showed Stevie taking off his shirt at security and putting it back on after turning it inside out. 

'Security officers have the right to determine if an object has the potential to harm fellow passengers and crew members by causing certain objects or prints to be anxious,' the airport said.

The family emailed the Airports Company of South Africa and was told the it was seeking clarification on the reason for the clothing rule.

'Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Note that we asked for a more extensive reason for the clothing rules and restrictions. We will give you feedback as soon as we receive it,' the email read. 

Stevie, from Wellington, was on his third trip to South Africa, where his mother was born, and travelling from Pretoria to George.

He has a keen interest in snakes, spiders, and bugs passed down from his father, who often took him to pet stores on trips to Africa.

The boy had a good sense of humour about the airport mishap, proposing a toast to South Africa when they arrived at the family home.