A dead snake has been found in a scrap yard in South Auckland.
The Ministry for Primary Industries said the snake was found in a container of scrap metal from Vanuatu in Manukau last week.
It said the snake is believed to be a non-venomous boa from the Candoia family.
The ministry says the snake was fresh and appeared to have died from fumigation, which is carried out on all imported containers of scrap metal before they are unloaded.
It says staff see scrap metal consignments as high risk for hitchhiking pests, insects and soil, which is why they are all fumigated at their first port of arrival.
