13 Sep, 2024 @ 13:42
1 min read

Snakes have ‘fully invaded’ Spain’s Ibiza: Environmentalists fear for local lizard species

The horseshoe snake arrived to the island around two decades ago
Horseshoe Snake Andalucia
Invasive: Horseshoe snake

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’.

Horseshoe Snake Andalucia
Invasive: Horseshoe snake

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.

Laurence Dollimore

Laurence Dollimore is a Spanish-speaking, NCTJ-trained journalist with almost a decade’s worth of experience.
The London native has a BA in International Relations from the University of Leeds and and an MA in the same subject from Queen Mary University London.
He earned his gold star diploma in multimedia journalism at the prestigious News Associates in London in 2016, before immediately joining the Olive Press at their offices on the Costa del Sol.
After a five-year stint, Laurence returned to the UK to work as a senior reporter at the Mail Online, where he remained for two years before coming back to the Olive Press as Digital Editor in 2023.
He continues to work for the biggest newspapers in the UK, who hire him to investigate and report on stories in Spain.
These include the Daily Mail, Telegraph, Mail Online, Mail on Sunday and The Sun and Sun Online.
He has broken world exclusives on everything from the Madeleine McCann case to the anti-tourism movement in Tenerife.

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