Leading environmental group IbizaPreservation has launched a new campaign urging the public to help preserve the island’s unique wall lizard from the growing threat of invasive snakes.
The initiative, developed alongside environmental groups GEN-GOB and Amics de la Terra, aims to equip the community with clear, actionable resources to support conservation efforts.
The groups have created a new trilingual website protegimsessargantanes.org in Catalan, Spanish, and English. It offers guidance on what to do if you spot a snake, how to use a trap safely, and how to join local control programmes. The site also explains why the Ibiza wall lizard, found only in the Pitiusas Islands (Ibiza, Formentera and surrounding islets) is so vital to the local ecosystem.
“Lizards contribute to the biological control of pests and the nutrient cycle of the soil,” explained Inma Saranova, Director of IbizaPreservation. “Their disappearance would have serious consequences for the health of Ibiza’s nature and crops.”
The campaign also includes shareable infographics and social media content designed to raise awareness across all parts of the community.
Hazel Morgan, President of Amics de la Terra, praised the spirit of cooperation: “The involvement of a significant part of the community is highly valued.” Agnès Vidal of GEN-GOB added: “Many people in Ibiza want to help. They understand that this task can only be accomplished with the collaboration of everyone.”
The spread of invasive snakes, often unintentionally transported in ornamental plants, in particular, olive trees from the mainland, has led to a dramatic decline in lizard populations in recent decades. This new effort encourages everyone, be they residents, visitors, or organisations to take part in preserving Ibiza’s native fauna.
“The conservation of the Ibiza wall lizard,” the groups affirm, “depends on collective commitment.”
