Video: Horseshoe snakes have become a problem in the Balearic Islands
Specimens of up to almost two meters have been found, although the normal length of an adult snake is between one and one and a half meters.
07/11/2025
1 min
Horseshoe snakes have become an exponentially growing problem in the Balearic Islands. In 2024, the regional government captured 3,878 snakes in the Pitiusas Islands, compared to 2,007 the previous year. Specimens have been found measuring almost two meters, although the normal length of an adult snake is between one and one and a half meters, with a weight of 500 grams. The reptile poses a danger to native fauna such as the lizards of the Pitiusas Islands and specific areas of the islands. But it doesn't only affect this species; it also threatens shrews, specifically the grilled shrew, a subspecies endemic to Ibiza, and mice.
