Hawaii store employees discover 2-foot snake in Christmas tree shipping container
Employees of a store in the Aloha State were in for a slithering surprise after a two-foot snake was found inside a shipping container of Christmas trees sent to the island.
Staff at a Hilo, Hawaii, store spotted the large reptile while they were halfway through unloading a container of holiday trees Saturday, according to a news release from the Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA).
The stunned employees acted quickly and shut the container, successfully preventing the surprise snake from settling in on the island.
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Inspectors from HDOA's Plant Quarantine Branch arrived and quickly captured the slithering reptile, which they later identified as a nonvenomous gopher snake.
Officials searched through other trees in the container but did not find any other snakes.
In a photo from the agency, the speckled snake was spotted following capture. The agency said the snake is being held in Hilo and will be safely moved to Honolulu.
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Gopher snakes can grow up to seven feet and kill their prey, such as small birds and rodents, by constricting and suffocating them, according to HDOA.
In Hawaii, snakes do not have any natural predators, and they may be a threat to endangered native birds, humans and small pets.
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In a statement, Sharon Hurd, chairperson of HDOA, thanked the employees for their quick actions.
"Although Plant Quarantine inspectors open every container of Christmas trees and wreaths that arrive and conduct an inspection, we do not have the resources to inspect every item in each container," Hurd said. "We appreciate the store staff’s quick containment of the snake and our Hilo staff’s quick response."
According to the agency, Hawaii has received more than 45,000 Christmas trees and wreaths in about 88 containers. A total of 135 containers are expected to arrive this season, according to HDOA.
HDOA did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.