Gran Canaria is making significant headway in its battle to rid the island of an invasive species of snake.
The island has been hardest hit among the Canaries by the proliferation in recent years of the California kingsnake (Lampropeltis californiae), the spiralling numbers of which pose a major threat to native fauna such as the endangered giant lizard and various types of gecko.
The island authorities report that last month saw record captures of the kingsnake by the dedicated teams put in place to combat the presence of the reptile. A total of 802 were caught as the catch teams took full advantage of the warmer conditions that encouraged the snakes to spend more time on the surface.
Traps located in key areas where the California kingsnake is known to live and breed on the island had a busy month, with up to 80 snakes snared on a single day. Many others were caught by members of the public and handed over to the teams for disposal.
Gran Canaria has stepped up its resourcing of the catch teams, with an extra 36 people recruited for a four-month period from 31 March. Working in two shifts and with help at times from specialised dog units, the teams spend a full fourteen hours every day scouring known California kingsnake habitats and also responding to reports of sightings by the public.
The island authorities are hoping that the change in weather will help increase captures considerably as the snakes emerge from the crevices, rocks, logs and other cover where they take refuge in colder and more humid periods.
If the current rate of success continues, the teams are on course to improve on last year’s figure of 1935 captures and may even break the record of 2676 kingsnakes caught in 2022.
