Although the long chequered history of human interaction with the Balearic Islands has presented nearly innumerable opportunities for biological invasion, this paper focuses on four recently introduced snake species: the horseshoe whip snake (Hemorrhois hippocrepis), the Montpellier snake (Malpolon monspessulanus), the false smooth snake (Macroprotodon mauritanicus) and the ladder snake (Rhinechis scalaris).
The authors analysed mitochondrial DNA from tissue samples to understand the snakes’ origins and invasive pathways. Then, relying primarily on GBIF-mediated data to understand the native distribution of each species, they estimated their current and future habitat suitability in this Mediterranean archipelago. These combined molecular and ecological analyses suggest that the nursery trade in olive trees may be a likely and single source of each invasion, and that climate change might improve conditions for these already widespread alien species.
