If I found a snake in Hawaii what should I do?

We are planning on doing alot of hiking, and was just curious if it is something to be concerned about. Appreciate any advice! Mahalo! ... If snakes got onto Hawaiian soil unchecked, there would be a huge problem with non-flying birds and other wildlife. read more

It is possible you may come across an illegal one in the wild, but I have never heard of frequent encounters (if any) with snakes in Hawaii. Though if one was to find a snake, I highly recommend simply capturing it and then informing the authorities so that the original owner of the snake could be tracked down. If you are forced to kill the snake, contact the authorities anyways. read more

The brown tree snake is a non-native, mildly venomous, highly aggressive and unwelcome invasive species of snake that presumably made its way to Hawaii via aircraft from Guam. While only a handful of brown tree snakes have been found to date, brown tree snakes pose a serious threat to Hawaii’s fragile ecosystem. read more

Unfortunately, people do smuggle snakes into Hawaii as pets, then get bored of them and release them into the wild. In January of 2016, workers found a 2-foot snake near Honolulu Airport. There were also a couple of snakes captured in July 2011. Namely, a 9-foot boa constrictor and 7-foot albino Burmese python. read more

The only way snakes could and can arrive in Hawaii is by hitchhiking on a boat—or, yes, on a plane. And that they have in recent years. In November of 2013, a pedestrian in Honolulu’s Chinatown came across a two-and-a-half-foot Rainbow Boa Constrictor. read more