The authorities had to set traps to try to combat this invasion.
Imagine swimming on a dream beach this fall, lounging in turquoise water and discovering a snake splashing nearby… This image has become in a few months the nightmare of the authorities and tourism professionals of a very popular destination by Europeans every year! However, it is not an exotic destination or a spot on the other side of the world, but rather a sure value of tourism in Europe which is facing this unexpected and spectacular invasion.
To protect native species, authorities must now closely monitor the islets where these snakes have taken up residence. Since their arrival, these snakes have proliferated rapidly, threatening the local ecosystem. The authorities, concerned about the lack of natural predators, launched an intensive capture operation. In 2023, more than 3,000 snakes were captured with the help of volunteers using traps scattered across many areas.
Initially discovered in Ibiza in 2016, these snakes turned out to be much more mobile than expected, even swimming in the open sea and quickly spread to neighboring islands in the Balearic archipelago, such as Formentera and Majorca. The problem is not limited to the most common snake, the horseshoe snake: other species, such as rat snakes and grass snakes, have been added to the equation. These reptiles have been spotted not only on land, near beaches, in urban areas but also in the open sea, threatening marine wildlife.
COFIB (Consorci de Recuperació de Fauna de les Illes Balears, the wildlife protection center in the Balearic Islands) explained to Spanish media Ultima Hora that although these snakes are not directly dangerous to humans, they seriously threaten local species , especially lizards and coastal birds. The horseshoe snake, rat snake and garter snake are now considered invasive species on all islands except Menorca, where their presence dates back centuries.
The fight against these invaders is complicated by their unpredictable behavior and the absence of natural predators, unlike mainland Spain where the presence of wild boars, foxes or badgers makes it possible to further regulate these invasive species.
