The snake is mildly venomous, the FWS says, but it does not pose a danger to most adults, and its bite will not penetrate clothing.

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The law authorizes FWS to issue permits to take eagles or their nests only when the take is incidental to a lawful activity and cannot be avoided.

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Besides its effect on bird populations, the snakes also take an economic toll on Guam by causing numerous power outages each year when they cross from tree into electrical lines, the FWS says.

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FWS, which has encouraged the use of guard dogs, temporary electric fences and non-lethal ammunition such as bean-bag rounds, is getting on better with the ranchers, though relations with the hunters are still frosty.

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In a massive 2011 settlement of a lawsuit filed by environmental groups, FWS promised to address more than 250 candidate species it had previously found warranting protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) but were precluded from listing due to a backlog.

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Yet FWS was undeterred.

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