The horseshoe whip snake is an invasive species that has been thriving on the Balearic Islands. Scientists and farmers are alarmed that the snake poses a threat to native animals.
00:00The horseshoe whipsnake has come to Mallorca for good.
00:07The invasive species spreads rapidly and threatens the native fauna.
00:15They're a plague. They're everywhere.
00:21They have to go. They make me nervous.
00:26Of course, they have to be killed off. But how?
00:32So how do the Spanish Balearic Islands plan to stop this invasion?
00:38Scientists are on it.
00:41My name is Miguel Putt, and I'm a biologist. We're trying to keep the horseshoe snakes in check.
00:48Miguel Putt and Toni Moro from the local wildlife rescue center are tracking them for capture.
00:55Only two snake species are actually native to the area.
00:59The horseshoe snake was brought here by accident.
01:03A horseshoe snake has shattered skin.
01:07Toni, what do you think?
01:09Yes, and it's a pretty big one.
01:12This is clear evidence that these snakes live here.
01:16They endanger our ecosystem because they eat native animals.
01:23Miguel and Toni set traps for the snakes, which can grow nearly 1.8 meters long.
01:31A live mouse is the bait.
01:43When the snake tries to reach the mouse, the door falls shut and the snake is trapped.
01:48The mouse is safe. It's on the other side of the screen, so the snake can't eat it.
01:53The intruders probably arrived on the Balearic Islands by ship from the mainland, in the root balls of olive trees, much to the dismay of farmers.
02:08Andreu Androver has already caught two horseshoe snakes this year.
02:14He sets traps himself on his land in eastern Mallorca.
02:18He knows the snakes are not venomous, but when cornered, they can be aggressive.
02:23When they're trapped and you get close, they go wild and bite very quickly.
02:28That's a bit scary.
02:30I've actually always been fascinated by snakes.
02:32I used to catch them by hand when I was a kid and was never afraid.
02:36But this one…
02:39Andreu is most worried about agriculture.
02:42He farms organically and, like many of his neighbors, has seen that the snake invasion is causing ecological problems.
02:49The snakes hunt birds, which eat insects and prevent pest infestations.
02:56So, if there are more snakes, there are fewer birds and more pests.
03:02That's why Andreu kills the trapped snakes, following the regulations for invasive and introduced species.
03:10Miguel Putt, from the Wildlife Rescue Center, confirms that the horseshoe snakes have no natural predators on the Balearic Islands.
03:18Even birds of prey hardly bother them.
03:21But the snakes threaten a lizard species that is only found here.
03:25The native species here had always been safe from these predators, so they haven't adapted for survival.
03:33They have no defense mechanisms against new, unfamiliar predators like these snakes, so they are easy prey.
03:39The wildlife officers check the traps every two weeks.
03:46If they find a snake native to Mallorca, they release it.
03:50But horseshoe whip snakes like this one have to be killed.
03:55I really feel sorry that we have to treat them like this.
04:00It's not their fault that they're here.
04:02But this is the only way to protect the native species on Mallorca.
04:05The wildlife officers trap around 3,000 snakes per year, and there will be more.
04:16Besides the horseshoe snake, three other snake species have now been introduced from the mainland.
04:22I think we can only try to slow their spread to strike a balance between the native species here and the newcomers, but in the long term we will probably have to get used to their presence.
04:37The officers don't know how many horseshoe snakes there are on the Balearics.
04:41All they know is that they're here to stay.
04:44They Oh my gosh.
04:45I know they're here.
04:50Not any farmers who are Goodbye to the الف.
04:52Launcher, is a place to first place the orange that rod wants so far.
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