They are being considered invasive species for anyone who is not original From a certain place, regardless of how they can get there, they have succeeded in settling and reproducing themselves, which represents a danger of ecosystems and local biodiversity.
Not -Sinative snakes that can be found on the Pitiusa Islands are the Horseshoe Culebra ((Hemorrhois hippocrepis) and the stair hose (Rhinechis Scalaris))Both are considered invasive species in this archipelago and are very dangerous for native fauna, as is the case with certain endemic lizards.
Capturing snakes in the Pitiusas
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural, Joan Simonet, accompanied by the general director of Natural Environment and Forestry Management, Anna Torres, has today detailed in Ibiz that he was in the Ibiza Island, 3,072 hoses were taken prisoner (in 2023 2,007 hoses were caught and in 2022, 2,710).
The minister emphasized that more falls were installed during the 2024 campaign than ever, with a total of 1,564 (in 2023 1,363 falls installed and in 2022, 1,246): «The The increase in catches is related to the largest number of falls that have been placedBecause we increased the efforts during this last season, with the installation of 200 falling instead of in 2023, “said Simonet.
In that sense, the minister has emphasized that ‘we are aware of the threat representing the snakes for the preservation of the Pitiusha Haagedis. That is why we will almost allocate for the next four years Two million euros in sustainable tourist funds (STD) to control invasive species, a figure that has so far entails the highest investment of the government to combat this environmental problem. Moreover, this year we will continue to intensify the actions in the islands and promote environmental education campaigns to increase awareness among the population ».
Simonet has announced that for this year a campaign to meet the harvesting regulations in the nurseries of the islands, which will be carried out by the environmental agents of the department. Moreover, also as a novelty, The government will give the nurseries to the nurseries so that they can place them in their facilities.
However, the minister has noted that in 2024 more than 300 falls were given to the municipalities. «In the light of this campaign, the number of falling to the consistories by the COFIB will increase to 500. Moreover, DDuring 2025 the traps will be renewed and considerably increased The number of the Ministry of the Department in Ibiza and Forenta ».
806 snakes have been recorded in Formentera, with a total of 364 falls. Thus the average figure of the recordings is maintained if we compare it to the results of 2023 (888 catches and 323 falls) and 2022 (664 catches and 394 falls). Simonet has indicated that «it has started to work preventively outside the cool, where the invasion of the staircase has been controlled for yearsInstalling trapping cores to discover new focus ».
Control campaigns
On the other hand, Anna Torres has indicated that the Horseshoe control campaign (Hemorrhois hippocrepis) and stair hose (Zamenis Ladders) It started in the second half of March and ended at the beginning of November. “We have had the participation of a total of eight field technicians, distributed six in Ibiza and two in Forumera,” the general director has detailed. Moreover, Torres has indicated that this Recording data must be added that are communicated by individualsWith an estimated total of 400 catches in the Pitiusas.
In that sense, Torres remembered that the government, by the consortium for the recovery of the fauna of the Balearic Islands (COFIB), also and alsoThe actions in the islands will be noticed this year to strengthen the biosafety measures. «During this campaign, 16 islands of the island of Ibiza were already expressed, chosen because of the proximity of the coast, in search of signs of snakes.
As a result, have implanted control measures of invasive species In four of them and 43 Horseshoe Snakes were captured on the island of Santa Eulalia and four more on Murada Island. As a novelty, a boat was first acquired in 2024 for the realization of these actions that already work with full performance ».
The island actions and the purchase of the boat, as well as the establishment of urban reserves of Hagedis Pitiusa, are financed by the repair, transformation and resilience plan by the recovery and resilience mechanism, with European funds the next generation of EU before he Control and extermination of invasive species on the Balearic Islands.
Informative material has also been developed within the framework of this project, including one Good Practices Manual in Gardening for creating favorable habitats for the Pitiusa HagedisA Drionsych and a video summary about the problem of the invasion of snakes on the Pitiusa Islands, as well as two extra videos that tackle these threats.
The COFIB manager, Miquel Puig, thanked the close cooperation with the municipalities of the five municipalities of Ibiza in which eight urban reserves of Lagartija Pitiusa were founded, the last of which, in Cala de Bou, in Sant Josep de Sa Talaia, is in treatment. Moreover, it is planned for this year to create a reservation in Forenta. «They have also taken it Cabo workshops for environmental education about creating reservations in educational centers And six extra reserves have been determined, “Puig explained.
Finally, Torres also wanted the The dedication of the government for environmental research and educationBecause a total of 724 samples of Horseshoe and Staircase Snake have been assigned for various research projects at the University of Extremadura, the Autonomous University of Barcelona, the University of Valencia and the Cardenal Herrera University, of Valencia.