A snake invasion is putting the survival of Gran Canaria's wildlife to the test. It is an albino variety of a famous pet snake, whose population has exploded across the island in recent years, decimating local species of birds and lizards. It is the California albino kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula californiae).
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him
A invasion of snakes is putting a strain on the survival of Gran Canaria's wildlife. It is an albino variety of a famous pet snake, whose population has exploded across the island in recent years, decimating local species of birds and lizards. And the California kingsnake albino (Lampropeltis getula californiae).
Originally brought to the island as pets, the abandoned or escaped California Kings have reproduced in the wild at a dizzying rate, thanks in part to the mild temperatures and coastal climate similar to that of their natural habitat in California. The continued dominance of the albino variety also suggests that they have few predators on the island, ruling out any natural solution to this problem.
As Ramón Gallo explains, a biologist who is trying to control the population through a project called LIFE + Lampropeltis, in the past eight years, over 2.000 of the snakes were captured, while it is believed that there are still thousands of them underground.
Snakes have been spotted in the area about 20 years ago and around 70% of the residents are still very afraid of them. Yet they pose no danger to humans, but are greedy and greedy predators of birds, rodents and rabbits. Of particular concern to researchers is the snake's predilection for giant lizard of Gran Canaria, a species present only on the island.
A recent comparison of lizard populations in snake-free and snake-free areas showed a ratio of 1:10. For experts this means only one thing: imminent extinction. And the fault, as always, will be only man.
For this the experts of invasive species have given themselves appointment on the island next 08 May per figure out how to halve the snake population. Launched in for a cost of over more than one million euros, the LIFE + Lampropeltis project also includes training of dogs and hawks to help capture snakes, as well as hundreds of workshops to educate local populations on the characteristics of the invasive species. One of the main challenges in communicating will be to determine exactly how many snakes there are on the island.
Roberta Ragni
Photograph: GK Hart/Vikki Hart/Getty Images
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