Florida

Snake Stows Away in Man's Bag on Trip From Florida to Hawaii

The non-venomous snake measured about a foot long and a quarter-inch in diameter, but it still posed a threat to the environment, officials said

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  • Officials say the non-venomous snake measured about a foot long and a quarter-inch in diameter.

A snake stowed away in a man's bag and remained undetected until it completed the trip from Florida to Hawaii, officials said.

The southern black racer snake slithered out of the man's backpack when he arrived on Maui Monday, Hawaii News Now reported Wednesday.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the 20-year-old Virginia man was not aware of the animal until it emerged after he arrived at a vacation rental property in the community of Pukalani.

The non-venomous snake measured about a foot long and a quarter-inch in diameter, officials said.

The property owner informed the visitor that snakes are illegal in Hawaii and alerted police, who captured the snake along with state Department of Land and Natural Resources personnel.

The man said he did not intentionally bring the racer snake when he traveled from Florida, where the species is common and can grow up to 6 feet in length.

The snake is expected to be transferred to Oahu, officials said.

Owning or knowingly transporting illegal pets is a felony in Hawaii punishable by a $200,000 fine and up to three years in prison.

Snakes have no natural predators in Hawaii and pose a threat to Hawaii's native species.

Visitors may not understand "the threat that snakes pose to our community and our unique environment," said Phyllis Shimabukuro-Geiser, chairperson of the Hawaii Board of Agriculture.

"It is fortunate that the owner of the rental was aware of the seriousness of the snake being transported to Hawaii and took appropriate action and reported it," Shimabukuro-Geiser said.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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