A sample will be sent for DNA analysis to identify which population it came from, but it might be difficult to determine exactly how it ended up on a Vancouver Island beach.

Hanke speculates it could be a pet trade animal, a pet on a fishing boat thrown overboard or — his strongest guess — that it swam up from California.

Any time you see a strange animal or plant, it's best to contact the museum and ask someone what it is, Hanke said.

"I get phone calls every week with people dropping off a bird or a mouse or a shrew or something I've got," he added.