Live Gopher Snake Found at Home Depot on O’ahu

Staff members of an O‘ahu dwelling advancement retail outlet bought a slithery shock from a pallet hitchhiker previously this week.

In accordance to a news release from the point out Department of Agriculture, a live snake was captured late Wednesday night time, July 6, at the Kapolei Dwelling Depot. Honolulu law enforcement officers, responding to a 911 phone from retail outlet employees at about 11 p.m., employed a bucket to capture the snake, which was spotted on a pallet in a shipping and delivery container of blended products.

The snake was taken to the Kapolei Police Station, wherever agricultural inspectors from the DOA took custody Thursday morning, July 7. Agriculture inspectors from the DOA Plant Quarantine Department also went to the retail outlet to survey the spot and informed the retail store to call the DOA if any other hitchhiking animals were being noticed.

The snake, determined by reptile specialists as a non-venomous juvenile gopher snake, actions about 21 inches lengthy. Gopher snakes are identified in North America and can mature up to about 7 ft. Their food plan is made up of small rodents, youthful rabbits, lizards, birds and their eggs. The snakes eliminate their prey by constriction and suffocation.

Snakes are illegal to possess in Hawai‘i. They have no pure predators and pose a serious risk to the state’s ecosystem.

The DOA reminds the general public that those people with unlawful animals can transform them in under the state’s Amnesty Software to any DOA place of work, the Honolulu Zoo, the Pana‘ewa Zoo in Hilo or any humane society, no queries asked and no fines assessed. The most penalty beneath state regulation for possession and/or transporting illegal animals is a Class C felony, punishable by up to a $200,000 fantastic and up to 3 several years in prison.

Any person with info about illegal animals ought to connect with the statewide toll-free Pest Hotline at 808-643-PEST (7378). Sightings or captures of illegal animals or invasive species must also be documented to the hotline.