Snakes in Tenerife: What Lives There and Are Any Venomous?
Tenerife has no native snakes and no venomous snake established in the wild. What you may actually meet, the 2025 kingsnake find, and who to call.
Quick Answer
Tenerife has no native snakes and no venomous snake established in the wild. The only resident species is the flowerpot blind snake, a harmless burrower under 18 cm that looks like a worm. Larger snakes here are escaped or abandoned pets: report them, do not handle them.
Key Takeaways
- Tenerife has no native snakes and no vipers, so the venom risk of mainland Spain does not apply here
- The one established species is the flowerpot blind snake, rarely over 17.5 cm, which arrives in plant pots and eats ant and termite larvae
- The California kingsnake found in La Laguna in August 2025 was treated as an abandoned pet, with no sign of a wild population
- The record kingsnake numbers in the news are from Gran Canaria, a different island with a very different problem
- See a snake: keep back, photograph it, and report it to RedEXOS on 646 601 457; call 112 if it is indoors or someone is bitten
- All colubrid snakes, including kingsnakes and corn snakes, are banned from possession, transport and trade in the Canary Islands
Search this question and you get two answers. Forum posts say Tenerife has no snakes at all. Headlines say an invasive snake has arrived. Both are partly right, and neither tells you what to do if one turns up in your garden.
The fuller picture comes from the Canary Islands government’s own species records. It is reassuring: nothing that lives wild on Tenerife can hurt you. It also has one detail worth knowing, because the reason officials want reports has nothing to do with your safety.
Which Snakes Are Actually on Tenerife
| Snake | Status on Tenerife | Venomous? | Size | Where it turns up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flowerpot blind snake (Indotyphlops braminus) | Introduced and naturalised, recorded since 2006 | No | Rarely over 17.5 cm | Plant pots, flower beds, garden soil |
| California kingsnake (Lampropeltis californiae) | Not established, isolated finds | No | About 120 cm on average | Urban areas and private homes |
| Other exotic pets, such as pythons | One-off escapes and abandonments | Unknown until identified | Varies | Anywhere they have been kept illegally |
No snake is native to the island. All three rows exist because people moved the animals here, on purpose or by accident.
Flowerpot blind snake
This is the only snake that actually lives wild on Tenerife, and most people who see one assume it is a worm. A 2026 report in the RedEXOS database from Santa Cruz describes exactly that: about 10 cm long, shiny black, moving like a snake.
According to the Canary Islands introduced-species database, adults rarely exceed 175 mm and are no thicker than 5 mm. It feeds on the eggs, larvae and pupae of ants and termites. No males have been described, because the species reproduces without them, which is why one animal in one pot can start a population. It travels in flowerpots and root balls through the ornamental plant trade, and was first recorded on Tenerife in 2006.
It also turns up where tourists do. Its species record cites a 2014 Guardia Civil report from a hotel zone and a 2016 report on snake sightings in Las Américas, Arona. It is far too small to harm you or a pet.
California kingsnake
In early August 2025 a resident found a kingsnake under paper and cardboard containers in La Cuesta, La Laguna, close to the Santa Cruz boundary. RedEXOS and Fundación Neotrópico checked the area for other animals and signs of breeding, and confirmed neither.
The foundation said it pointed to a pet someone had kept at home and dumped, not a plague or an invasion. RTVC reported it as the first capture on the island, while the foundation counts about 10 kingsnakes located on Tenerife in 20 years, mostly through police interventions in homes.
The species has no venom and kills small prey by constriction. Patterns vary between ringed and striped, in both normal and albino forms, so colour alone will not identify one.
Escaped exotic pets
This is the honest caveat to “no venomous snakes”. In 2014 Seprona investigated a young python found at El Fraile, Arona. In March 2026 the Guardia Civil said the La Laguna kingsnake had helped expose illegal animal sales between Tenerife and Gran Canaria, in an operation that had already seized 32 animals, including a Brazilian yellow scorpion.
“No venomous snakes” describes what lives wild on the island. It cannot guarantee what someone’s illegal pet turns out to be. That is why the advice below is the same for every large snake you cannot identify: do not touch it.
Gran Canaria is a different story
The alarming numbers in the news come from Gran Canaria, where the kingsnake has spread since 1998. About 2,700 were removed in the first seven months of 2026, beating the previous full-year record of 2,676 from 2023. In areas where the snake has been detected, the giant lizard has fallen by 90%, according to Fundación Neotrópico’s president. It is a conservation emergency, not a human safety one, and it is the outcome that reporting on Tenerife exists to prevent.
What People Mistake for Snakes
Most “snake” sightings on Tenerife are one of these native reptiles or a worm. None needs reporting.
| What you saw | How to tell | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| West Canary skink (Chalcides viridanus) | Glossy, low-slung body with very short legs and a wriggling run | Up to about 18 cm, active by day and at dusk |
| Western Canaries lizard (Gallotia galloti) | Obvious legs; males are dark with pale blue patches | Strong males reach 40 cm, found from sea level to Teide |
| Tenerife gecko (Tarentola delalandii) | Wide flat head, climbs walls, comes to outdoor lights | The local perenquén, harmless |
| Earthworm | Visible rings and a soft body | A blind snake has polished scales and no rings |
What to Do If You See a Snake on Tenerife
- Keep your distance. Do not pick it up, corner it or kill it. Most bites happen to people trying to do one of those things.
- Take a photo and note the exact spot. RedEXOS asks for the location, the species if you know it and a picture.
- Report it to RedEXOS. Call or WhatsApp 646 601 457, or use its app or web form. A small blind snake gets the same treatment: send the photo and let them decide.
- Call 112 if it is urgent. That means the snake is indoors, you cannot move away from it, or somebody has been bitten.
- Do not move it somewhere else. Under Spain’s invasive species decree, catalogued animals taken from the wild cannot be put back, and possession and transport are banned. A well-meant lift to the nearest barranco is the one thing that could start a population.
- In a hotel or rental, tell reception or the owner straight away. This is a wildlife call rather than a job for a pest control company.
If you are on Gran Canaria instead, the number is 608 098 296, run by the Stop Culebra Real project.
Bites, Children and Dogs
Nothing established on Tenerife can envenomate a person or a dog. That removes the emergency pathway that dominates snake advice on the mainland.
If a kingsnake or similar non-venomous snake bites, treat it as an animal bite. Wash it with soap and water, cover it, check that tetanus cover is up to date, and see a doctor if it becomes hot, red or more painful over the next few days. A dog bitten on the face, or clearly distressed, should see a vet for the wound.
If you did not identify the snake, treat it differently. Call 112, keep the person still, and show them your photo if you got one. Do not use a tourniquet, cut the wound or try to catch the animal.
Teach children one rule: look, do not touch. That covers the skinks and geckos they will actually find too.
Gardens, Plants and Bringing a Pet
- Check new pots before planting. Blind snakes travel in soil and root balls. If something worm-like and shiny wriggles out of a new plant, photograph it and report it.
- Clear hiding places near the house. Stacked tiles, rubble and old sacks shelter the small animals that attract any snake. The same steps help with rats and mice.
- Do not bring a colubrid snake to the islands. The national catalogue lists every species in the family Colubridae for the Canary Islands, which covers pet-trade favourites such as kingsnakes and corn snakes. It bans possession, transport and trade of live animals. Consequences can include heavy fines, a ban on keeping animals and, in serious cases, criminal liability.
Is Tenerife on a No-Go List Because of Wildlife?
No. That phrase comes from Fodor’s 2026 No List, which named the Canary Islands because of pressure from overtourism. Fodor’s itself says the list is not a boycott. It says nothing about snakes or any other animal.
What Actually Deserves Your Attention on Tenerife
Snakes sit near the bottom of the list. If you want to spend your worry well:
- Portuguese man o’ war on Atlantic beaches: the Canary Islands were among the high-risk areas in 2026, so obey the beach flags.
- Mosquitoes in Tenerife: an itch problem, mostly in the humid north from August to November.
- Cockroaches in Tenerife: active all year, and far more likely to appear in your apartment than any snake.
The correct response to a snake on Tenerife is a photo, a message to RedEXOS, and leaving it alone. You are not protecting yourself. You are helping the island avoid what happened to Gran Canaria.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there snakes in Tenerife?
Are there poisonous snakes in Tenerife?
What snake was found in Tenerife in 2025?
What should I do if I see a snake in Tenerife?
Are there snakes on the other Canary Islands?
Why is Tenerife on the no-go list?
Written by James Thornton
Founder & Lead Writer
British expat living in Málaga since 2019. Researched 200+ pest control cases across 16 Spanish regions.
Reviewed by Carlos Ruiz Martín
ROESBA-certified (Spain's Official Pest Control Registry). DDD specialist. Member of ANECPLA.