A hiker exploring the countryside in Ibiza has come across what appears to be the skeleton of a large snake, in a curious discovery that has since been shared on social media.

The remains were filmed in a wooded area of the island by the account @ibizasinfiltro. According to the accompanying description, the person who recorded the video estimated that the remains measured more than two metres in length.

Discovery made during a countryside walk

The young hiker was walking through the countryside when he encountered the remains near what appears to be a small cave or rocky opening surrounded by woodland.

The video shows a long line of bones on the ground, apparently forming the remains of a snake.

The unusual discovery quickly attracted attention online because of the apparent size of the animal.

More than two metres is an estimate

The reported length should be treated with caution.

The more-than-two-metre measurement comes from an estimate made from the video and has not been confirmed by an official wildlife authority or through a scientific measurement of the remains.

There is also no publicly available identification of the species responsible for the skeleton.

Invasive snakes are a documented issue in Ibiza

The discovery comes against the background of an established invasive-snake problem in Ibiza and Formentera.

The Balearic Government has been running programmes for years to control introduced snake species in the Pitiusas because of their impact on native biodiversity, particularly the endemic Ibiza wall lizard, or sargantana pitiusa.

Official monitoring has identified the horseshoe whip snake (Hemorrhois hippocrepis) as the principal invasive snake species on Ibiza, with the ladder snake (Zamenis scalaris) also recorded.

Thousands of snakes captured

The scale of the wider issue is illustrated by the Government's latest published figures.

During the 2025 control campaign, 3,604 invasive snakes were captured on Ibiza using 1,930 traps.

Of those captures, 3,528 were identified as horseshoe whip snakes.

In Formentera, 893 snakes were captured using 505 traps, with most identified as ladder snakes. The Government also recorded isolated horseshoe whip snake captures around La Savina.

Expanded control programme in 2026

The authorities have increased resources for the 2026 campaign.

The Govern said in July that around 3,000 traps had been deployed across the Pitiusas and surrounding islets, while 13 people were dedicated to controlling invasive snakes.

The programme is particularly focused on the continuing expansion of the horseshoe whip snake towards western Ibiza.

The wider strategy also includes new technology such as environmental DNA, artificial intelligence-assisted monitoring and drones for surveillance and control in difficult-to-access areas.

Protecting Ibiza's native lizards

The main conservation concern is not a direct threat to people.

The Balearic Government describes invasive snakes as a major threat to native lizard populations because they prey on the endemic sargantana pitiusa.

The authorities have consequently introduced measures including snake-free refuges designed to protect lizard populations and prevent snakes from reaching vulnerable areas.

No confirmation of the skeleton's species

Despite the documented presence of invasive snakes on Ibiza, there is currently no public confirmation that the remains filmed in this latest video belonged to a particular species.

It is also not possible from the available reporting to independently establish the exact length of the animal before it died.

The most accurate description is therefore an apparent snake skeleton which the person filming it estimated to be more than two metres long.

Another unusual encounter in Ibiza's countryside

The discovery follows other reports of unusually large snakes being seen by hikers on the island.

In March 2026, a separate sighting of a snake reported to be more than two metres long in the Sa Pedrera de Cala d'Hort area led volunteers to install traps while attempting to locate the animal. The sighting itself was based on a video and witness account.

That earlier case also illustrates why reported dimensions should be treated carefully until an animal can be examined or measured directly.

An intriguing find with a wider ecological context

For the person who came across the remains, the discovery was an unusual moment during an ordinary countryside walk.

For Ibiza's environmental authorities, however, snakes are part of a much larger conservation challenge involving introduced species and the protection of the island's native reptiles.

The latest video does not establish how large the snake actually was or which species it belonged to. What it does provide is another unusual glimpse of the reptiles now present in Ibiza's natural environment, against a background of an ongoing official effort to control invasive snake populations.