Snakes and Hawaii

Snakes and Hawaii

I have heard it said that there are no snakes in Hawaii. Since I do not like snakes, Hawaii could very well be the paradise it is called just for that reason alone. I am not sure why some people bring their snakes into my Hawaiian shirt store. They have them wrapped around their arms, shoulders and neck like a living, breathing scarf. I never knew so many people owned snakes before we moved into our downtown Escondido location that is around the corner and a few doors down from a reptile house.  I have seen some huge ugly lizards, many types of snakes, all sorts of bug eyed lizards, chameleons etc and one guy even walks some type of baby dragon on a leash. They all prance around with their reptiles like they are so proud of them.  You would think they would have the common sense not to bring them into my store but OH NO they come right on in to show me their scaly pets.  

One day I had an elderly lady looking over some of our colorful muumuus and I was helping her find her size. I remember the customer coming into the store and said “Hi let me know if you need any help” I glanced his way and smiled but then turned back to speak to the lady I was helping. I found a couple of muumuus in her size and was halfway to the dressing room to hang them up when she started screaming her head off. She had one hand around her throat and was pointing in the direction of the guy who was the only other customer in the store.

At this point I am thinking he must have a gun he is going to rob us but even worse than that was when I turned to look at him I saw that he had a huge snake wrapped around his neck that snake was so long it hung down his back to the backs of his knees and was wrapped around his neck and down his arm and he was holding the head with his hand. I am thinking 8 feet for sure and of course those beady black eyes were looking right at us.

I guess you can tell my level of comfort with snakes considering I thought a snake was worse than having a gun wielding robber in my store, so during this commotion the man was slowly backing away from us trying to reassure us his snake was harmless. While my customer was doing some kind of weird dance and hiding behind me while holding onto me I yelled “Get that snake out of here now!” That man took off down the street and I have not seen him or his pet since then.

Really owners of large reptiles need to have their heads examined in my opinion. Don’t they watch all those shows that end up with the big snake overpowering the owner and killing them or the shows where snakes get out of the enclosures and kill children in the house? Can’t blame the snake, that’s what they do, they wrap around you and try to eat you.

So I am now curious how they can claim there are no snakes in Hawaii, are you telling me that not one snake lover has ever slipped a snake in a suitcase on board a plane?  So my question to the readers of this blog is…. Is it true there are no snakes on the islands? Let me know if you have ever seen or heard about encounters with snakes in the lush vegetation they have over there.  I did notice when I visited the island of Oahu there were a lot of mongooses over there perhaps that is why there are no snakes?  

Peggy