Why Are There No Snakes in Hawaii?

Are you curious if there are snakes in Hawaii?

There are no native snakes in Hawaii, except for two species of snakes namely the blind snake and the yellow-bellied sea snake.

Hawaiian Snake Species

It is against the law to own a pet snake in Hawaii. The fact is snakes are not native to Hawaii and no natural predators live in Hawaii. Snakes can cause a serious threat to Hawaii’s ecosystem. To survive they must compete with other native animals for food and habitat. Several snake species attack birds and their eggs that can be a big threat to Hawaii’s several endangered native birds. If anybody is caught with pet snakes, they have to spend 3 years in prison and will be charged $200,000 in penalties.

Are you wondering what kind of snakes are there in Hawaii? There are two snake species found on the islands. The non-venomous blind snake looks like an earthworm. It can be found in Hawaii islands and won’t harm humans or the environment. The Island blind snake is imported from the Philippines and feeds on ants and termites, found under nests, hummus, logs, and leaves. It is harmless and one of the tiniest snakes in North America.

The yellow-bellied snake (Pelamis platurus) is found in Hawaiian water. It is highly poisonous.

The five-foot-long serpent Brown Tree Snakes was found in Hawaii in 1952. According to The New York Times report in 1992, it is “infamous for having wiped out most of Guam’s forest bird species.” It is known as a bird-preying snake.

Snakes Native to Hawaii

In general, Hawaiian people never come across a snake on the island and the chances are almost zero. Hawaiian people follow “no-snakes” policies. Are there poisonous snakes in Hawaii? No. Venomous snakes can be a danger to the Hawaiian public and pets.

Therefore Hawaiian islands have no native snakes, and it’s illegal to own snakes in the islands.