'Illegal' 3-Foot Snake Killed After Children Found Playing With It

A snake measuring more than 3 feet has been euthanized in Hawaii after children were spotted playing with the serpent.

On Monday, agricultural inspectors captured the snake in Pukalani, on the island of Maui, after it was seen by the side of a road, the state Department of Agriculture (DoA) said in a statement. Experts have tentatively identified the creature as a female gopher snake, a nonvenomous species native to the North American continent.

Hawaii has no native snakes, although non-native species are sometimes found in the state. The appearance of non-native snakes may result from illegally owned pets escaping into the wild or creatures being accidentally transported to the archipelago as stowaways.

It is illegal to own snakes in Hawaii because of the damage they could cause to the local ecosystem if they find their way into the wild. Anyone in possession of an illegal snake can face fines of up to $200,000 and jail time of up to three years.

The state's ecosystem has evolved in geographic isolation and, as a result, is delicately balanced and vulnerable to outside threats. Snakes and large reptiles have no natural predators in Hawaii, and the DoA says they pose a "serious threat" to native wildlife.

For example, they can compete with native animals for food and habitat. They can also prey on birds and their eggs, threatening native populations. In addition, larger snakes can pose a threat to small pets and potentially even the public.

The gopher snake that was captured in Pukalani on Monday had been reported to the DoA by a resident. The resident told the department that he had seen children playing with the snake at around 3 p.m. local time.

The DoA dispatched agricultural inspectors from the Maui Plant Quarantine Branch who eventually found the snake, which had been contained in a plastic garbage bin by the time they arrived.

Officials estimated that the serpent measured around 3½ feet in length. Officers from the Maui Police Department also responded to the scene and helped the inspectors secure the snake.

The snake was then taken to the Plant Quarantine Office where it was humanely euthanized, the DoA said. It is not clear where the snake originated.

The department says anyone who sees a snake in Hawaii should treat it as venomous and not handle it. In these cases, you should view the snake from a safe distance and, when possible, safely cover or contain it. The sighting should then be immediately reported to the state's toll-free Pest Hotline at (808) 643-PEST (7378).

The state has an amnesty program that allows the voluntary surrender of illegal animals without penalty if no investigation into the possession has been initiated.

Gopher snakes can grow up to around 7 feet in length and kill their prey by constriction and suffocation. Their diet primarily consists of small rodents, young rabbits and lizards, as well as birds and their eggs.

Gopher snakes are not frequently seen in Hawaii, but sometimes they are reported. One stowaway was found in a shipping container on Hawaii Island in 2014 and subsequently captured by officials.

Newsweek has contacted the Hawaii Department of Agriculture for comment via email.

Do you have an animal or nature story to share with Newsweek? Do you have a question about snakes? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.