Gran Canaria has a problem with Californian snakes; This problem has been going on for decades and is proving to be particularly serious from an environmental perspective. Therefore, authorities decided to deploy dog ​​patrols. It sounds strange, but we already know: Hopeless problems, creative solutions. And on the island, they relied on their dogs’ sense of smell.

In front of snakes and dogs. In the Canary Islands, the dog is not only man’s best friend. It is also a valuable ally in stopping the spread of the California kingsnake, one of the archipelago’s biggest environmental problems.Lampropeltis californiae), better known as the “California snake,” is an invasive species native to certain parts of the Americas and has been the focus of authorities for years.

Authorities have launched control campaigns, including the ambitious #Stopculebrareal campaign, to reduce its proliferation, especially on Gran Canaria, and prevent the snake from destroying native species that serve as prey. They have various tools at their disposal. For example, there is an app that allows neighbors to send alerts when they detect snakes near their homes. There are also patrols with trained dogs.

The place where people cannot reach… Dogs come with their sense of smell. California kingsnakes pose a challenge not only because they are spread throughout the island, thanks to climate, predation, and the lack of predators found here. One of the biggest challenges they present is that they are not easy to find. They spend most of their lives hidden underground, so experts need to take advantage of the few months when they are most active (mid-March to mid-July).

But trained dogs have an advantage: their strong sense of smell. Each time they detect a snake, they mark its hiding area. “We train them so they can find the right spot and not get caught in any feces the snakes may have left in their path,” he explains to the paper. provinces Sara Ordoñez, coach.

A strategy with a history. The use of canine units trained to detect snakes is not new. Its origins date back several years, but Canary officials now wanted to highlight it along with other initiatives on ‘Expose to protect’ day. The #Stopculebrareal website includes a report on a pilot experiment conducted between 2013 and 2014 to precisely control snake populations in California with trained animals.

new signatures. This experience must have been positive, because in March last year the Canary Islands Government and the Gran Canaria Cabildo presented, together with a press release, the signatures of two new “agents” specialized in the fight against invasive species: Russel and Mamba. The first is a Belgian Malinois. The second is a cross between Labrador and Golden Retriever.

As announced by the island Government at the time, the dogs were responsible for tracking goods unloaded at Mercalaspalmas, the major logistics center for agricultural products on Gran Canaria, to prevent the arrival of invasive species. During their training, they were also prepared to identify four species that “threaten the biodiversity” of the archipelago: the royal python, the Moorish squirrel, the Yemen chameleon and the California snake. Success rates are close to 95%.

Newspaper a few days ago canary7He revealed that Mamba and Russel were joined by two more canine agents: Goku and Dubai, allowing the unit to be strengthened. In May, residents of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria had the opportunity to see their skills firsthand. Alerted to the presence of a California snake in the gardens of the Reina Mercedes settlement, #Stopculebrareal experts, accompanied by Russel, devoted themselves to combing the area and detecting its trace.

Thousands of snakes “hunted”. #Stopculebrareal estimates that 18,764 California kingsnakes have been captured on the island of Gran Canaria since 2007; but this is the global number to which reptiles hunted with different strategies are added. Of these, 8,945 were detected with the help of citizens, and 9,819 correspond to what authorities call “direct capture” as a result of searches by field teams or traps. Approximately 2,000 people will retire in 2024.

Of course, not all of them were found with dogs. In fact, #Stopculebrareal statistics show that direct catches with trained animals represent a low percentage. Most are caught by hand or with the help of traps.

Is the problem that serious? We recently talked about the California kingsnake and the enormous headache it represents for Canary officials. They are docile reptiles, but they have voracious appetites and their island menu often includes the giant lizard (Gallotia stehlini) and leather (Chalcides sexlineatus), they saw their population decline.

“Invasive snakes pose a serious threat to the island’s biodiversity because they are responsible for far-reaching impacts that have not been adequately studied, particularly for native reptiles,” a study published in 2021 warned. Proceedings of the Royal Society B and focused on the spread of the snake in Gran Canaria.

existence Lampropelties californiae It dates back several decades in the region, thanks in large part to the popularity it once enjoyed as a pet. The first records date back to 1998, and in 2007 it was already adapted to the east of the island.

Pictures | Canary Islands Government, Dana L. Brown (Flickr) and Gilaman (Flickr)

via | Spanish Newspaper

in Xataka | In 1940, a creature sneaked onto an island in the United States and devoured everything. Two of the species that humans fear the most live alone together today.