Laurence Dollimore
ENVIRONMENTALISTS in Ibiza have admitted to ‘losing the war’ against an invasive species of snake.
According to the Institut d’Estudis Eivissencs (IEE), the situation is ‘practically unsolvable’ following a surge in population of the horseshoe snake.
The serpent has managed to establish itself ‘throughout the island’, the institute said, admitting that plans to eradicate the animal have been ‘unsuccessful’.
More than 500 volunteers have been working on the eradication project over the past few months.
The horseshoe snake arrived to the island around two decades ago.
The institute said: “It can now be confirmed that the horseshoe snake (Hemorrhois hippocrepis) is already present throughout the island.”
The IEE is calling on port authorities to crack down on controls to stop the pests from entering via boats arriving from other countries.
It also demanded ‘generalised and strategic trapping programmes throughout Ibiza’, which include the massive distribution of traps and mice (as bait).
Finally, the IEE is asking for a special reserve to be created for the Ibizan lizard.
The domestic reptile species is one of the main food sources of the horseshoe snake, and is now endangered given the predator’s surging numbers.
