State officials say a live snake was found in a container of Christmas trees as it was being unloaded for a store in Hilo over the weekend.

The Hawaii Department of Agriculture said store staff found the snake Saturday morning. They had unloaded about half of the container before spotting it, immediately closed the doors, and called the department.

HDOA has identified the 2-foot-long reptile as a non-venomous gopher snake. Additional checks on the Christmas trees and the container found no other snakes.

“Although Plant Quarantine inspectors open every container of Christmas trees and wreaths that arrive and conduct an inspection, we do not have the resources to inspect every item in each container,” said Sharon Hurd, HDOA chairperson, in a news release. “We appreciate the store staff’s quick containment of the snake and our Hilo staff’s quick response.”

The gopher snake is in custody, and will eventually be transported to Honolulu.

Snakes are illegal in Hawaii because of the threat they pose to the isles’ environment, officials said, and the threat they pose to many species of birds and eggs, particularly endangered native birds. With no natural predators in Hawaii, they would compete with native animals for food and habitat.

This holiday season, HDOA said it expects an estimated 135 containers of Christmas trees and wreaths to arrive in Hawaii. Approximately 88 have arrived so far this year, with about 46,450 trees.

Anyone who finds illegal animals such as snakes should report it to the state’s toll-free pest hotline at 808-643-PEST (7378).