The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment, together with the Consell d’Eivissa and the Consell de Formentera, presented this Monday, March 11, the results of the 2023 campaign to control snakes in the Pitiusas. The data, provided by the Consortium for the Recovery of the Fauna of the Balearic Islands (COFIB), which depends on the Directorate General of Natural Environment and Forest Management, indicate that during the eight months of operation of the project (from April to November) 2,007 specimens of invasive snakes have been captured in Ibiza (1,946 horseshoe snakes and 61 specimens of white snake) and 889 in Formentera (888 specimens of white snake and one of horseshoe snake). It should be remembered that in the 2022 season the number of captures was 2,710 in Ibiza and 664 in Formentera. On the other hand, in 2021, 1,754 specimens were caught (1,047 in Ibiza and 707 in Formentera).
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Medio Natural captures a total of 2,896 specimens of invasive snakes in the Pitiusas
These results were detailed today during a technical meeting held at the headquarters of the Consell d’Eivissa in which, in addition to the data for 2023, the strategies and planning to be followed this year were presented. The meeting was attended by the director general of Natural Environment and Forest Management, Anna Torres; the councillor of Environmental Management of the Consell d’Eivissa, Ignacio José Andrés; the councillor of Environmental Management of the Consell de Formentera, Verónica Castelló; the manager of the COFIB, Lluís Parpal; representatives of the town councils of Ibiza; environmental agents (AMA), and researchers who have participated in the preparation of population monitoring studies.
During the presentation of the data, Director General Anna Torres stressed that the project to control snakes in the Pitiusas has three main objectives: “The aim is to determine what the real problem is today (number of species, real distribution, adaptation to the environment and impact on biodiversity), as well as to study and control the expansion and density of snakes in Ibiza and try to eradicate them in Formentera”. Finally, Torres assured that “it is essential to inform, raise awareness and encourage public collaboration to raise awareness of the problem of invasive species”.
However, the director general pointed out that “none of the species mentioned are dangerous to humans. However, there are concerns about the effects they may have on biodiversity”. Torres also thanked the public for their collaboration, “who have been interested in the project from the outset and have contributed their help”.
The data reveal that the horseshoe snake (Hemorrhois hippocrepis) is colonising the entire territory of Ibiza, and the white snake (Zamenis scalaris), which is also present on Formentera, has also been detected. It should be remembered that the introduction of peninsular ophidians in the Balearic Islands is directly related to the introduction of ornamental trees (mainly olive trees) from the south of the peninsula for their use in gardening.
In this regard, since 2016 the Government has been working on the monitoring and control of these species and has the economic support of a project derived from the sustainable tourism tax of the Balearic Islands Tourism Strategy Agency (AETIB) since 2020. Thanks to this project, Decree Law 1/2023 of 30 January was approved in 2023, establishing measures for the protection of lizards and for the prevention and fight against the introduction of snakes in the Balearic Islands.
Similarly, work is continuing on other measures to prevent the entry of new ophidian species, such as the fine-tuning of the inspection protocol for the entry of ornamental trees, quarantine and detection of ophidians with different systems. At the end of this last phase of the project (ending in mid-2024) a final report will be drafted with the results obtained, which will serve to determine the best strategy (economic and technical feasibility) to maintain a density control plan in Ibiza and for the possible future eradication of ophidians in Formentera.
It should be noted that the studies carried out by the University of the Balearic Islands provide biometric and population data on these invasive species in order to determine the degree of predation on the endemic lizard Podarcis pityusensis. Researchers from the University of Salamanca have also monitored lizard populations in the Balearic Islands to determine the impact of these invaders on the density of lizard populations.