What was meant to be a relaxing Sunday afternoon turned into quite a fright for German tourists in Son Servera when they encountered two large snakes in their garden. One specimen measured approximately 1.5 metres in length, while the other reached an impressive 2 metres, as reported to our sister paper Mallorca Magazine. The incident has sparked discussions about snake species on the island and proper reporting procedures.
‘We couldn’t believe our eyes’, tourist Simone S. wrote in an email to MM. ‘We were having a peaceful afternoon in the garden until a snake emerged from the ground drain’. Shortly after spotting the first 1.5-metre specimen, they witnessed an even more surprising sight: ‘A second, much thicker snake, about 2 metres long, came slithering out of the ground’.
According to Mallorca Magazine’s investigation, the reptiles were identified as two different species: a horseshoe snake and a ladder snake. While neither are venomous and both are generally harmless to humans, the ladder snake may bite if threatened. Both species can grow up to 2 metres in length and are classified as invasive species in the Balearic Islands.
Proper snake sighting protocol
The COFIB (Nature Conservation Institute) handles such cases in Mallorca and strongly recommends immediate reporting of any snake sightings. Affected individuals can call 112 or contact COFIB directly at +34 653574145. The institute also provides instructions for building snake traps, available in both Catalan and English.
Rising invasive species concerns
Snake sightings have increased significantly across Mallorca and neighbouring islands in recent years, with some specimens even spotted swimming in the sea. The COFIB captures approximately 3,000 snakes a year with the help of hundreds of volunteers using cage traps. Since the first horseshoe snake sightings in Ibiza in 2016, experts have documented various invasive species swimming in open waters, contrary to initial terrestrial-only assumptions.