Python Found on Maui Coffee Farm

A non-venomous ball python was found on Maui on July 1, 2016. Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture photo.

A live snake was captured by a Maui coffee farm worker on Friday afternoon, July 1, 2016.

The snake was reported to the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture on Maui and a plant quarantine inspector came and got the snake, which was later identified as a non-venomous ball python.

The snake measured about four feet long.  Ball pythons may grow up to six feet long.

It is not known how the snake got to the farm, which is located in Kaanapali.

It was euthanized due to its condition.

Ball pythons are non-venomous and are common in the pet trade on the Mainland. They are native to Western and West-Central Africa and are related to boas, which are also constrictors that subdue prey by coiling around and suffocating it. Its diet usually consists of small mammals and birds.

Snakes have no natural predators in Hawai‘i and pose a serious threat to the islands’ environment.

Many species also prey on birds and their eggs, increasing the threat to endangered native birds. Large snakes can also be a danger to the public and small pets.

Individuals who see or know of illegal animals in Hawaii are encouraged to contact the state’s toll-free PEST HOTLINE at 643-PEST (7378).