A resident called the department and reported seeing children playing with the reptile May 15.
A female gopher snake (Pituophis sp.) that was captured in Pukalani on Maui was euthanized by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture. According to a Hawaii Department of Agriculture news release, a resident called the department and reported seeing children playing with the reptile May 15. Inspectors from the Maui Plant Quarantine Branch went to the scene and determined the snake, which was in a plastic garbage bin, to be a female gopher snake. The snake, which measured about 3 1/2 feet in length, was humanely euthanized. The snake probably came to the state as part of a shipment of plants from the mainland.
This isn’t the first time a gopher snake was found in the state. In July 2022, a juvenile gopher snake measuring about 21 inches in length was found in a Kapolei Home Depot on the island of O’ahu. In 2016, a ball python was found on a Maui Hawaii coffee farm. That snake was euthanized due to the poor condition in which it was found. And in 2018, a 5-foot ball python was found near a landfill on the Big Island.
In 2011, pig hunters on O’ahu captured a nine-foot boa constrictor near the Halawa Correctional facility in Halawa Valley, and in September 2015, a 2 ½-foot-long ball python was captured in a garage in Pearl City, also on the island of O’ahu.
5-Foot Ball Python Found Near Hawaii Landfill
Ball Python Captured on Maui, Hawaii Coffee Farm
Most reptiles in Hawaii are non-native, introduced species.
The possession and transportation of snakes is illegal in Hawaii and is a class c felony, but that hasn’t stopped some folks from bringing them in as pets. The state has an amnesty program that enables anyone in possession of snakes, large lizards and other species that are illegal to own in the state, to turn them into any Hawaiian Department of Agriculture (HDOA) office, the Honolulu Zoo, Panaewa Zoo in Hilo or any Humane Society. Those convicted of possessing or transporting illegal animals are subject to a $200,000 fine and up to three years in prison. Nobody has yet paid the fine.
Gopher Snake Information
The gopher snake grows to about 3 to 6 feet in length, with an average length of 4 to 5 feet. They are a heavy bodied snake that can live 15+ years in captivity. They are native to North America. Gopher snakes belong to the genus Pituophis. This genus includes gopher snakes, pine snakes and bullsnakes. The gopher snake is widely captive-bred and is a popular snake among reptile keepers. A variety of morphs are widely available.
