A snake found in a store's container of Christmas trees in Hawaii. (Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture)
HILO, Hawaii - Shop workers unloading a supply of Christmas trees in Hawaii found an unexpected visitor hiding within the shipment.
A gopher snake was discovered concealed among the trees on Saturday in Hilo. A news release from the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture (HDOA) said the workers had unloaded about half of the Christmas tree shipment when they saw the 2-foot-long reptile.
When they found the snake, the workers closed the container and called the HDOA to handle the serpent. The snake was captured and taken to the Plant Quarantine Branch. The rest of the container was checked, and no other snakes were found.
"Although Plant Quarantine inspectors open every container of Christmas trees and wreaths that arrive and conduct an inspection, we do not have the resources to inspect every item in each container," said Sharon Hurd, chairperson of the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture. "We appreciate the store staff’s quick containment of the snake and our Hilo staff’s quick response."
Gopher snakes are non-venomous snakes found in North America. They can grow to be up to 7 feet long, according to HDOA.
Snakes and reptiles are not native to Hawaii and can pose a threat to native species on the Island.
HDOA said the snake is being held in Hilo and will be transported to Honolulu.
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