GARY T. KUBOTA / GKUBOTA@STARBULLETIN.COM
From left, snake hunters Mike Walker, Sam Akoi, Jamie Bruch, Mike Ade, Mitch Craig and Jack Peterson, coordinator of the Maui Invasive Species Committee, searched for a snake in Haiku, Maui, yesterday.
HAIKU, Maui >> Several people using bamboo poles beat brush yesterday to flush out and catch an elusive snake. Snake eludes
Maui search partyHunters beat brush and use a "hot rock"
to try to find the reptileBy Gary T. Kubota
gkubota@starbulletin.com"We beat the bush pretty much over there and didn't see any sign of it," said Creighton Low, a technician with the Maui Invasive Species Committee.
The hunters also used a "hot rock," but that didn't work.
The search was concentrated on about 2.5 acres of pasture near a pigpen along Awalau Street in rural Haiku. The neighborhood is a mixture of forest and pastures, with eucalyptus trees and some pasture grasses growing more than 10 feet high.
Searchers were looking for what is believed to be a python or boa constrictor that slithered across the boot of a Haiku resident as he was cutting grass about two weeks ago.
The snake is described as dark green with brown patches, about 3 to 4 feet long and 3 inches in diameter.
The hot rock is similar to what is used in terrariums by people on the mainland who have snakes as pets. It measures 1 foot by 6 inches and heats up when plugged into an electrical outlet.
Committee coordinator Jack Peterson said snakes like to curl up next to the rock to keep warm.
Using extension cords, Peterson's team placed the rock in a pasture, hoping it would attract the snake during cool nighttime hours. The team planned to monitor the rock for at least a few nights.
State officials also posted fliers informing neighborhood residents about the snake.
Officials fear any snake could have a devastating impact on native species, especially birds. Peterson said he is worried that the snake may be female and capable of reproducing without a male.
He said committee members and state officials were discussing other strategies, including the use of a trap or a snake-sniffing dog.
He said state officials had traps designed to catch smaller brown tree snakes, but there were no traps available to catch a snake of that size.
Searchers were to meet today to evaluate the situation.
