GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM Land vertebrate specialist Keevin Minami of the state Department of Agriculture displayed an albino corn snake yesterday found in Maunawili by area resident Jim Kenny.

17-inch snake found in Maunawili

The nonvenomous albino is at least
a few months old

Maunawili resident Jim Kenny said he thought he spotted a toy snake on his outdoor lanai. Then it moved.

Having grown up in the Midwest, Kenny said he is familiar with different kinds of snakes, but this one looked different.

"Right off the bat, I knew it was albino. It had little pink eyes," Kenny said.

The snake, which he spotted and caught on Tuesday, turned out to be a 17-inch albino corn snake common in parts of the mainland United States and northern Mexico. It is not venomous and can grow to more than 6 feet long. Corn snakes feed on small mammals and birds and their nesting.

State Department of Agriculture officials said yesterday that they believe the snake is at least a few months old.

Kenny said the snake was docile, and he was able to catch it using two glass flower vases.

An Agricultural Department animal specialist who went to Kenny's home to retrieve the snake surveyed the surrounding area but did not find evidence of more snakes.

State law prohibits possession of snakes in Hawaii. However, the department might keep this one for educational purposes.

Last May, a Transportation Security Administration screener doing random searches of checked luggage at Honolulu Airport found a 3-foot-long albino corn snake in a bag headed for Sacramento, Calif.

State officials advise the public to immediately report any snake sighting by calling 643-7378.