Why was the initial presence of the snakes around Guam's Apra Harbor not widely reported for nearly two decades?

Answer

The area was mostly a Navy base off-limits to civilians at night, and many soldiers were unalarmed by snakes.

For nearly two decades following the war, the area surrounding Apra Harbor was primarily a Navy base largely off-limits to civilians at night, and many American soldiers stationed there had grown up where snakes were not alarming, leading to a lack of widespread reporting.

Why was the initial presence of the snakes around Guam's Apra Harbor not widely reported for nearly two decades?
Originreptilesnake