Pitiusa lizard population declines in Ibiza's Ses Salines Natural Park

A report by the Nature Studies Group (GEN-GOB) warns of a significant decline in the population of the endemic Pitiusa lizard within the Ses Salines Natural Park in Ibiza. Monitoring conducted between April and July 2026 shows a downward trend in three of the four studied zones.

In specific areas such as Es Codolar and Torre des Carregador, the decline is particularly sharp. In July 2026, only one specimen was observed in each of these locations, compared to 48 specimens recorded in 2024. The abundance index at Torre des Carregador has dropped to 6.57 specimens per kilometer, down from 7.89 in 2025.

GEN-GOB has called for more decisive conservation measures to prevent short-term local extinctions, identifying invasive snakes as a primary threat to the species' survival. The monitoring program, which began in 2023 with support from beach concessionaires in Sant Josep de sa Talaia, utilizes monthly visual censuses during the summer to track population changes.