Are there snakes on Gran Canaria?

Lampropeltis californiae, the California kingsnake, is native to southwestern USA and northwestern Mexico. It has been reported as invasive on the island of Gran Canaria where no native species of snakes existed before. The species introduction was a result of accidental and deliberate releases from pet owners and pet stores. From 2011 to 2015 the LIFE Project LAMPROPELTIS in Gran Canaria aimed at minimizing the impact of the species on the island’s biodiversity, and specifically on endemic species like Gran Canaria Giant Lizard and Gran Canaria Skink. In the context of the project a Protocol for snake capturing and data gathering and an Early Warning System were prepared, with 5,021 snakes removed from the wild. However, biological controls and management of invasive species are not always easy. In 2018, the species seems making a comeback, spreading in more areas, disquieting citizens, scientists and the local authorities. Close to 7,000 different species are owned by pet owners across Europe, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Some of these pet species are imported from outside Europe and can potentially cause ecological problems if they escape or are released in the environment. The emblematic case of the California kingsnake is one of the many similar potential threats across Europe.

Is anything being done to control the California kingsnake population in Gran Canaria? The control device for the California king snake population in Gran Canaria captured fewer specimens in 2023 than in the previous two years, specifically 2,389 compared to the 2,676 eliminated during 2022 and the 2,648 that were caught throughout 2021. The fact that it barely rained during 2023 explains this reduction in the presence of snakes on the surface (because the population, far from decreasing, continues to increase) given that variations in atmospheric pressure constitute the determining factor for these animals to become active. The prevailing heat during 2023, contrary to what it may seem, is not enough motivation to leave their burrows. The Minister of Environment of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria stated that “after more than 23 years released into the natural environment, with a great capacity for adaptation, its population has spread to multiple places on the island and, although "It is harmless to human beings, it is tremendously harmful to the natural environment." The big problem with the presence of this ophidian is the impact on native biodiversity, especially the lizards, mullets and native perenquenes that are being seriously depleted in the areas where this snake lives, as demonstrated by studies carried out recently. by the IPNA-CSIC. The California kingsnake is an invasive species in Gran Canaria and the authorities are actively trying to reduce their population each year, as invasive snakes pose a serious threat to island biodiversity, as they are responsible for wide-ranging impacts that are often understudied, particularly in regard to native reptiles.

The discovery of the snake has disrupted the neighbourhood's daily life, leading many to avoid the green areas altogether. The snake appeared right where our children usually play, and that has forced us to even stop taking the dogs out. Following these incidents, residents called the local authorities to request that it be caught. Although this snake is not venomous and generally remains underground, the presence of such a reptile in an urban environment has understandably raised concerns among neighbours. The California kingsnake is currently an invasive species in Gran Canaria. It arrived on the island through human intervention in the 1990s. This incident marks the first time that a snake of this species has been reported in Reina Mercedes, although it is not the first time they have been sighted in Las Palmas. Since the introduction of the California kingsnake to Gran Canaria in 1998, either through accidental or intentional release into the natural environment, its population has grown significantly. This has led to an institutional response in the form of a systematic capture program that, since 2009, has removed 17,615 specimens of this invasive species.

La lista incluye tanto especies endémicas como introducidas. Esta lista incluye tanto especies endémicas como introducidas. East Canary gecko, Tarentola angustimentalis LC Boettger's wall gecko, Tarentola boettgeri LC Tenerife gecko, Tarentola delalandii LC Gomero wall gecko, Tarentola gomerensis LC Mediterranean house gecko, Hemidactylus turcicus LC (Gran Canaria and Tenerife) (I) Atlantic lizard, Gallotia atlantica LC Boettger's lizard, Gallotia caesaris LC West Canaries lizard, Gallotia galloti LC El Hierro giant lizard, Gallotia simonyi CR La Gomera giant lizard, Gallotia bravoana CR Gran Canaria giant lizard, Gallotia stehlini LC La Palma giant lizard, Gallotia auaritae CR Tenerife giant lizard, Gallotia goliath EX Tenerife speckled lizard, Gallotia intermedia CR East Canary skink, Chalcides simonyi EN Gran Canaria skink, Chalcides sexlineatus LC West Canary skink, Chalcides viridanus LC La Gomera skink, Chalcides coeruleopunctatus LC Veiled chameleon, Chamaeleo calyptratus LC (I)[1] Brahminy blind snake, Indotyphlops braminus LC[2] (I) California kingsnake, Lampropeltic californiae LC[3] (I) Pond slider, Trachemys scripta LC (I) False map turtle, Graptemys pseudogeographica LC (I)[4] Tenerife giant tortoise, Centrochelys burchardi EX Gran Canaria giant tortoise, Centrochelys vulcanica EX Loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta EN Green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas EN Hawksbill sea turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata CR Kemp's ridley sea turtle, Lepidochelys kempii CR Leatherback sea turtle, Dermochelys coriacea VU List of mammals of the Canary Islands List of birds of the Canary Islands List of amphibians of the Canary Islands ^ Sanna (2023-10-15). "Fight against the naturalisation of the exotic Yemen chameleon invader on Gran Canaria • The Canary News". The Canary News. Retrieved 2025-03-12. ^ Bowler, John (2018). Wildlife of Madeira and the Canary Islands. Wild Guides. p. 164. ISBN 9780691170763. ^ "California kingsnake in the Canary Islands | Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología". www.ipna.csic.es. Retrieved 2021-02-08. ^ "Canary Islands". Herpsafari - amphibians and reptiles of Europe (in Dutch). Retrieved 2025-03-12. Pleguezuelos, J.M.; Márquez, R.; Lizana, M. (2002). Atlas y Libro Rojo de los anfibios y reptiles de España. Madrid: Dirección General de Conservación de la naturaleza; Asociación Herpetológica Española; Organismo Autónomo Parques Nacionales. Amphibians and Reptiles in the Canary Islands, Focus on Nature Categories: Reptiles of the Canary IslandsLists of reptiles of SpainLists of biota of the Canary IslandsLists of reptiles of Africa

A pair of researchers with Island Ecology and Evolution Research Group, Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología, has found that an invasive species of snake has killed off nearly all of the reptiles native to Gran Canaria. In their paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Julien Piquet and Marta López-Darias describe their comparison of habitats impacted by the importation of an invasive snake species and those that have not. In 1998, California kingsnakes were imported onto the island of Gran Canaria; subsequently, some escaped or were released intentionally by pet owners. Since that time, the snakes have mated, reproduced and populated the island. The snake is considered to be harmless to humans, despite occasionally biting people, and have thus become a popular pet. In this new effort, the researchers noted that reptile populations on Gran Canaria—the third largest of the Canary Islands—have been in decline. They found, for example, that the population of giant lizards on Gran Canaria was 90 percent lower than nearby islands, skinks were 80 percent lower and geckos were 50 percent lower. The researchers note that their findings also highlight the need for stronger regulations regarding importing invasive species, most particularly in places with sensitive ecosystems such as those found on islands. The findings show the scale of the impact an invasive species can have.