Gran Canaria – For the fourth consecutive month, authorities managing Gran Canaria’s invasive species program have reported record-breaking captures of California kingsnakes. This ongoing trend highlights the increasing impact of this non-native reptile on the island’s delicate biodiversity.
Visitors are reminded that sightings remain very rare, particularly in urban or populated areas, but the growing numbers found in more remote parts of the island have long been a cause of concern for native wildlife.
|
----- Google provide a way for you to
|
By the end of August 2025, 149 kingsnakes were removed from the environment, surpassing capture totals for the same month in all previous years since records began in 2009. This follows record captures in May (803 snakes), June (622), and July (358). While these figures demonstrate a more coordinated and effective control effort, they also indicate that the species continues to spread despite years of containment attempts.
A Threat to Local Wildlife
The California kingsnake ( Lampropeltis californiae ) is an invasive species in the Canary Islands, first detected in the wild in the early 2000s. It poses a significant threat to native reptiles, including the endangered Gran Canaria giant lizard ( Gallotia stehlini ), which lacks natural defenses against the snake. Originally introduced through the exotic pet trade, these snakes have established populations in various zones of the island, particularly in the northeast and southeast. Their rapid reproduction rate and adaptability to local conditions have made eradication efforts challenging.
Control Programme Results and Public Involvement
The containment program, jointly coordinated by Gesplan and funded by the Government of the Canary Islands and the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, employs a multi-faceted approach:
-
Field patrols by trained personnel.
-
Community reporting of sightings.
-
The use of a specially trained snake detection dog named Russel.
-
Over 150 active traps deployed in high-risk areas.
As of August 31, a total of 2,375 snakes have been captured this year. If this trend continues, 2025 could potentially exceed the all-time record of 2,676 snakes removed in a single year (set in 2022). While snake activity typically decreases after summer, capture numbers have remained unusually high this year, suggesting a broader geographic spread of the population.
Experts warn that if not controlled, the invasive snake population could cause long-term damage to Gran Canaria’s ecosystems, potentially leading to the extinction of native reptiles in localized areas, threatening ground-nesting birds, and altering the ecological balance in protected areas like Barranco de Guiniguada and Caldera de Tenteniguada.
Eradication remains a long-term challenge, but the program aims to suppress the snakes’ expansion and reduce their population density through targeted removal. Public involvement is crucial; officials encourage residents and hikers to report sightings to the environmental hotline and remind everyone not to disturb traps or release non-native animals into the wild.
