Snake nightmare in Mallorca: Horseshoe snake threatens nature and farmers!

Snake nightmare in Mallorca: Horseshoe snake threatens nature and farmers!

The sun is shining hotly on Mallorca, but the impressive coastlines and idyllic landscapes have put a serious problem into the shadows: the invasive horseshoe snake, originally from North Africa, is constantly spreading across the popular island. According to Schwaebische.de, the snake sightings are becoming more and more common and experts are concerned about the possible impact of this development on the local flora and fauna.

The horseshoe snake, which can grow up to 1.85 meters long, has increased significantly in recent years. Historically, Mallorca has been a region largely spared from such threats - jellyfish stings have been the biggest concern. But globalization and trade have brought invasive species to Mallorca, and the horseshoe snake is not the only one. According to the Mallorca newspaper, the arrival of the snakes could have occurred via wooden materials or cavities in olive trees, which has not yet been clarified.

Threat to native species

Researchers warn that the horseshoe snake not only poses a threat to agriculture, but also threatens native species such as the Sargantana, the Pityuse lizard. This has already been almost completely eradicated, and the adder even swims to small surrounding islands where it destroys the local life. Biologist Samuel Pinya highlights that the disappearance of such key species could ultimately lead to a collapse of the entire ecosystem. Smaller animals such as amphibians and lizards are particularly affected, which endangers the ability to regulate the insect population and may even encourage insect plagues.

The lax review of import controls, especially at ports and airports, is denounced as another shortcoming. The agricultural association ASAJA is calling for the horseshoe snake to be officially classified as an invasive species in order to better regulate the situation. In the last ten years, numerous new pests have invaded Mallorca and are already damaging agricultural crops and livestock.

A bleak picture for the farmers

The invasive snake population is creating a huge problem for farmers in the interior of the country and the Balearic Animal Rescue Consortium (COFIB) is overwhelmed by the situation. The responsibility for catching snakes is often passed on to private individuals, while some companies remove the animals for a fee. This leads to a worrying development: on the one hand, farmers demand safe cultivation options, but on the other hand, the effectiveness of combating invasive species remains questionable.

The current strategy to control the snake population is not sufficient. The horseshoe snake is currently not officially recognized as an invasive species. This uncertainty makes effective control difficult and undermines the population's trust in institutional measures.

While the horseshoe snake wreaks havoc across Mallorca's vast landscapes as the island's snake population turns out to be denser than the mainland, there is still a silver lining: the Mallorcan Serp de sa Garriga is starting to eat invasive snakes, which could indicate potential natural regulation. But will these steps be enough to get the extensive threat under control in the long term?

As Mallorca News reports, it is essential that control mechanisms at the island's entry points are improved. Collaboration between different institutions may be necessary to manage the ecological impacts of the snake plague and protect agriculture. Only through a joint approach can the beauty and diversity of Mallorca's flora and fauna be preserved.

For anyone interested in finding out more about this explosive topic, the reports on Schwaebische.de, Mallorca Zeitung and Mallorca Nachrichten are very informative.