Visitor releases boa constrictor in Midlands park, officials said
A visitor who thought boa constrictors were native to South Carolina released one in a Midlands park, according to officials.
Congaree National Park posted on its Facebook page that rangers received reports of a visitor releasing the non-venomous snake Sunday night. The snake reportedly was released along the park’s boardwalk near stop No. 3.
The visitor was under the impression boa constrictors already were in the park and established. Neither is true, park officials said.
Congaree National Park officials added it is never appropriate or legal to release a non-native — or even a native — species in the park.
“Even native species that have been rehabilitated may have picked up diseases while in recovery that can decimate populations within a range, as well as doing great harm to other animals populations,” the park posted on its Facebook page.
Anyone walking on park trails who sees the boa should report it to the park staff immediately.
Boa constrictors are native to Central and South America. They can grow up to 13-feet long, weigh more than 100 pounds and live up to 30 years. They also can give birth to up to 60 live babies.
The report of the snake comes at a time when the park is expecting an increase in visitors stopping by to catch a glimpse of the synchronized fireflies.
Uninvited guests
The Congaree Park boa constrictor is far from the first non-native species introduced in South Carolina. Here are a few others, according to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources:
Patagonian cavy. Since the early 2000s, Natural Resources occasionally have received calls and emails about strange-looking rodents in the Edgefield County area. The department suspects the Argentinian Patagonian cavy, which has rabbit- and kangaroo-like features, first was released in South Carolina by a pet owner.
Mediterranean Gecko. The 4-inch-long lizards, common in southern Europe and northern Africa, probably arrived through South Carolina’s ports. Generally light gray, they often are found around buildings with outdoor lights, typically in metropolitan areas like Columbia and Charleston.
Feral hogs. Wild pigs were released here by Spanish settlers in the 1500s. Typically found in the floodplains of major rivers, they now can be found from the S.C. coast to the state’s mountains.
Coyotes. First arriving in South Carolina in the 1970s, coyotes slowly had expanded their range eastward for years. They now have reached every state except Hawaii.
Red-eared slider turtle. Native to the Mississippi River system, these turtles now are common in the Palmetto State, appearing typically in neighborhood ponds. Red-eared sliders reach a foot in length and readily breed with native yellow-bellied sliders, threatening genetic pollution.
Avery G. Wilks
This story was originally published May 22, 2017 at 11:07 AM with the headline "Visitor releases boa constrictor in Midlands park, officials said."