Possible Clues:

• Gator, for one
• Penny had more choice about being picked up by loathsome type
• Agent on slab, snake say
• That's cold-blooded, giving cooked tripe to Ellie, say
• One often crawls to a representative part of the roof
• Material covering hat's alligator perhaps
• Unpleasant person in bother over weird pet
• Skink or gecko
• Snake or alligator, e.g
• Snake -- or rat?