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Stop the Brown Tree- Snake

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Stop the Brown Tree- Snake BROWN TREESNAKES WHAT TO DO FOUND IN HAWAI‘I IF YOU SEE A SNAKE APRIL 1981: A live snake is found crawling in 1. Call the Pest Hotline immediately: 643- the customs area at the Honolulu Airport. PEST. Monitor the snake until trained authorities arrive. If the snake is resting or JULY 1981: A dead snake is found at Barbers hiding in an enclosed area, do not disturb it. Point Naval Air Station. 2. If it is moving and you are unable to contain MAY 1986: A live snake is found on a post it, track its location until authorities arrive. guide-wire at Hickam Air Force Base. 3. If the snake attempts to flee, and it is safe to OCTOBER 1989: A dead snake is found next to do so, kill it by striking the back of its head a cargo jet at Hickam Air Force Base. with a heavy object, or cut it in half with a machete or other implement. SEPTEMBER 1991: A dead snake is found on a runway at Honolulu Airport and a live snake 4. If the snake is dead, put it in a plastic bag is found under a cargo jet at Hickam Air Force labeled with the location, date and time of Base. capture. Store it in the freezer for pick up and examination by authorities. DECEMBER 1994: A live snake is discovered in a warehouse on Schofield Barracks. 5. If you have a pet snake, voluntarily turn it in by calling 643-PEST which offers immunity AUGUST 1998: A dead snake is found in the from prosecution. wheel well of a commercial aircraft being serviced at Honolulu Airport. 6. Being caught with a snake could mean a fine of up to $200,000 and three years in jail. STOP OTHER SNAKES FOUND IN HAWAI‘I Anyone with information or knowledge of snakes or other illegal animals should call Despite laws banning the importation or 643-PEST (643-7378). THE possession of snakes in Hawai‘i, they continue to be sighted, recovered, or turned in under the amnesty program. BROWN HDOA records from a 10-year period between 1990 and 2000 show that there were 236 credible snake sightings reported in Hawai‘i. REPORT ALL SNAKE SIGHTINGS TREE- TO Of these, 137 snakes were retrieved (either 643-PEST (643-7378) captured roaming free, confiscated, SNAKE surrendered as illegal pets, or found dead), Dial direct from any island leaving 99 reported snakes unaccounted just from those 10 years. HAWAI‘I DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE WHY BE CONCERNED ABOUT SNAKES? Air and ship traffic and cargo from Guam to HOW TO PREVENT SNAKES IN HAWAI‘I Hawai‘i provide the opportunity for these snakes to The islands of Hawai‘i have no native snakes.The arrive. State and federal agencies work to reduce the law prohibits the entry or possession of snakes. possibility of snakes arriving and becoming Should a brown treesnake or other snake enter Economic Impacts established in Hawai‘i. Hawai‘i and establish a breeding population, our • Brown treesnakes on Guam climb power lines island economy, ecology, and way of life will be and have caused more than 1,200 small to island- Efforts focus on reducing the chances of snakes irretrievably altered. wide power outages over the past 30 years, leaving Guam, intercepting snakes at ports of costing millions of dollars in repair costs, lost entry, and early detection and rapid response Most of the information in this brochure focuses revenue and work productivity. upon reported sightings. on brown treesnakes. Many other species of snakes would have the same impact if they were • Extrapolated findings • Snake-detection dog teams on Guam to arrive. of possible economic inspect commercial and military cargo impacts to the energy, and flights leaving Guam; however, DEVASTATION ON GUAM and medical and tourism rising cargo and traffic from Guam DANGER TO HAWAI‘I industries in Hawai‘i have left some departing cargo and are conservatively craft uninspected. Like the islands of Hawai‘i, the island of Guam is estimated at $578 home to many unique plants and animals found million annually. • In HDOA’s Detector Dog Program, nowhere else on Earth. These species flourished almost 100% of incoming military in isolation and the absence of predators. Ecosystem Impacts and civilian flights from Guam are • On Guam it took less than 30 years for most inspected to help ensure that snakes are not onboard. For this reason they lack the mechanisms needed native forest birds, seabirds, introduced bird to protect themselves from predators, such as species and several lizard species to vanish due • Construction of barriers help establish snakes, that are not naturally present on these to snake predation. As a result of the lack of snake-free zones in Guam’s air and sea islands. birds, insect populations are abnormally high, ports and in key wildlife habitat areas. which impacts agriculture production. The brown treesnake was inadvertently • Researchers investigate development of • Hawai‘i has lost over half its native birds to introduced to Guam shortly after WWII, probably chemical control methods to reduce the extinction. If the brown treesnake established as a stowaway aboard a cargo ship sailing from snake population on Guam. itself here, many more of the birds remaining in the Pacific New Guinea area where these snakes Hawai‘i would be wiped out. Also at risk is naturally occur. • Education programs help train civilian our $15 million poultry industry, and there Abundant food and and military air cargo personnel on would be additional costs to protect crops snake behavior and inspection of a lack of competition from insects. preferred hiding places of the brown or predators lead treesnake. to ultra-high snake Health and Quality of Life Impacts populations, as many • Hospitals on Guam treat about 150 • The Hawai‘i Brown Treesnake as 40 snakes per acre victims of brown treesnake bites each Response Protocol helps ensure in some forest areas year, the majority of which are infants and organized quick response in the event during the 1970s toddlers. of a snake sighting. and 1980s. Current populations average • Residents and visitors of Hawai‘i benefit • Awareness promotes support for a 20 snakes per acre. from a relatively benign and comfortable snake-free Hawai‘i. The public is asked environment. Let’s keep it that way! to report snake sightings to 643-PEST..
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