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The fall of a symbol? A high predation rate by the introduced horseshoe whip snake Hemorrhois hippocrepis paints a bleak future for the endemic Ibiza wall lizard Podarcis pityusensis

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Abstract

Invasive species currently account for a major threat to global biodiversity, and island ecosystems are among the most vulnerable, because of the frequency and success of species introductions on islands. Within Mediterranean islands, reptiles not only are frequently introduced species but are also among the most threatened because of these introductions. The Balearic archipelago is a good example of this, since only two of its current 16 species of reptiles are native. Thirteen years ago, the snake Hemorrhois hippocrepis was introduced by cargo in Ibiza island, and it is in expansion. Individuals obtained from an early eradication campaign showed a fast expression of phenotypic plasticity and acquired larger sizes than those of the source population, probably due to a high prey availability and predator scarcity. The species is thriving at the expense of a small variety of native and non-native prey, but the predation pressure on the endemic Podarcis pityusensis, the only native reptile in the island, is very high, as this lizard represents 56% of the prey in frequency, which might threaten its survival on the long term. Our results on the feeding ecology of the snake are of sufficient concern to justify the maintenance of actions to eradicate this invader.

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Acknowledgements

Many people helped in the field and laboratory, like M. Feriche, E. Alaminos, J. Azor, T. Alcover, and the people of the COFIB. X. Santos improved a first draft of this manuscript. Samples have been collected according to the permits issued by the Balearic Government (ESP 26/2014). This work was supported by the Ibiza Insular Council, Balearic Government (grant numbers 54/2013 and 21/2015—AGRICULTURA).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics Group, Av. Americo Vespucio s/n, 41092, Sevilla, Spain

    Arlo Hinckley

  2. Department of Environment, Ibiza Island Council, Av. España, 49, E-07800, Ibiza, Spain

    Elba Montes

  3. Asociación Herpetológica Española, PO 191, E-28911, Leganés Madrid, Spain

    Enrique Ayllón

  4. Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, E-18071, Granada, Spain

    Juan M Pleguezuelos

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  1. Arlo Hinckley
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Correspondence to Juan M Pleguezuelos.

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Hinckley, A., Montes, E., Ayllón, E. et al. The fall of a symbol? A high predation rate by the introduced horseshoe whip snake Hemorrhois hippocrepis paints a bleak future for the endemic Ibiza wall lizard Podarcis pityusensis . Eur J Wildl Res 63, 13 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-016-1068-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-016-1068-z

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