When one thinks of Hawaii images of sandy beaches palm trees and tropical drinks likely come to mind. What probably doesn’t come to mind is snakes. That’s because there are no snakes in Hawaii. But why is that?
There are a few theories as to why there are no snakes in Hawaii. One theory is that they never had a chance to make it to the island. Hawaii is situated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean which is quite a distance from anywhere else. It’s possible that snakes simply never had the opportunity to travel to Hawaii.
Another theory is that the snakes that did make it to Hawaii were eaten by the native birds. Food competitions between invasive species and native species are not uncommon and it’s possible that the snakes were outcompeted for food by the birds.
It’s also possible that the climate in Hawaii is not conducive to snakes. Snakes are cold-blooded which means they rely on the environment to regulate their body temperature. Hawaii is quite warm and it’s possible that the snakes were unable to regulate their body temperature leading to their demise.
Whatever the reason the fact remains that there are no snakes in Hawaii. So if you’re looking to get away from the snakes Hawaii is the place to be!
Why are there no snakes in Hawaii?
There are a few reasons.
One is that the Hawaiian Islands are very isolated.
Snakes are good swimmers but they can’t cross oceans.
So they’ve never been able to get to Hawaii.
Another reason is that the climate is too warm for most snakes.
They would overheat and die.
And finally there are already a lot of animals on the islands that eat snakes so they wouldn’t stand a chance if they did manage to get there.
How did snakes get to other continents?
The most likely explanation is that they ‘hitchhiked’ on boats.
Snakes can hide in all sorts of places and they’ve probably stowed away on ships many times.
They might also have been brought over by people who were keeping them as pets.
But however they got there they’ve certainly made themselves at home on every continent except Antarctica.
