Invasion of the European islands. Beachgoers run away from snakes

The invasion of the horseshoe snake in the Balearic Islands is becoming a serious problem for the local ecosystem. This species came to the islands by accident, from mainland Spain, hiding in transported olive trees. After settling in Ibiza, Mallorca and Formentera, it quickly increased its numbers, putting heavy pressure on native lizard species. Endemic populations whose natural range is limited only to the Balearic archipelago are particularly threatened by the presence of snakes. Beachgoers who encounter reptiles while walking barefoot on the beach are also worried.

A plague of snakes on the Spanish islands

Since the appearance of the first horseshoe snake (Hemorrhois hippocrepis) more than twenty years have passed in the Balearic Islands. In 2003, the species, which was found only in Northwest Africa, the Iberian Peninsula and parts of Sardinia, was also spotted in Ibiza. “Despite this, the government of the Balearic Islands did not take this ecological threat seriously. This changed only seven years later, when the first studies were published confirming the rapid spread of the species,” writes Euronews. The islanders linked the presence of the snakes to the transport of Iberian olive trees ready to be planted. Today, horseshoe snakes have infested up to ninety percent of Ibiza’s area.

Tourists have nothing to fear

There is no shortage of videos on the Internet of tourists encountering snakes on beaches and in cities. While the normal reaction in such a situation is to flee, in reality foreign visitors really have nothing to fear. Horseshoe snakes are not poisonous and can only attack when threatened.

However, they displace the local fauna – the wall lizard is the most affected (Pityusic wall), found only in Ibiza, Formentera and several surrounding islands. “The lizards did not develop natural defense mechanisms against the new predator, their population dropped sharply or completely disappeared in several areas,” we read.