Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1506906
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 3 SEPTEMBER 2023 9 INTERVIEW save those species; and work with NGOs to release them back into the wild. Sadly, however, most people won't even give wildlife a chance. For example: when people have a snake in their garden, they don't just leave it there, for the sake of controlling rats. Instead, they call us, to get rid of it as a 'pest'. Little do they realise, that having a snake in their garden is actual- ly the best way to protect their home, from a rat-infestation... Having said this, I understand that people don't want to live with snakes, and other animals, in their homes. So of course, we do respond to those calls... but if it's a snake; or a scorpion (because that's another beneficial animal, that is often mistaken for vermin) – we will not kill it. We will sim- ply remove it, and release it into a suitable habitat elsewhere. Unfortunately, however, there seems to be this attitude here, whereby everything that moves is considered either a pest, or ver- min, or something people simply want to get rid of it, as quickly as possible... How much of an impact is this attitude is having, on local wildlife? This week, there was a report about how the cha- meleon may now be an endan- gered species. And you your- self announced the extinction of the Selmunett wall lizard, in 2008. It sounds to me as though Malta's wildlife is fac- ing imminent risk of extinction, at present. Am I correct? Once again: it's a very complex issue, so I'll try to keep it simple. But let's start with the chamele- on. We too, have noticed that there has been a decline. It must be said, however, that the chamele- on is not native to Malta, either. It is actually an alien species, that was probably introduced around 200 years ago. And okay: we have all grown up with chameleons roaming around our countryside; so we now consider them to be part of our country's natural her- itage. But it's still an invasive species; and there have been studies, by myself and others, showing that when the chameleon is confined to smaller habitats – such as, for instance, Cominotto Island - it has a detrimental effect on the populations of native wildlife: like the Cominotto wall lizard, which is endemic to Malta. So in cases like that, I wouldn't really worry about 'saving the chameleon', too much. However, there are places where the cha- meleon has found its own par- ticular niche; so while it wouldn't upset me that much, if chamele- ons decline in certain areas... they can still be beneficial, in others. Hang on: surely, those 'inva- sive species' which are now firmly established, should be considered 'native', today? Because otherwise, ALL Mal- ta's wildlife would have to be considered, up to a point, 'in- vasive'... Not really, no. There ARE en- demic species, in Malta... But surely animals such as the 'wild rabbit' would have been introduced, at some point or other? Does that makes rabbits 'alien', too? OK, I see your point. Animals like rabbits, weasels, hedgehogs, etc. would all have originally been 'introduced' here, yes... but it de- pends how far back in history you go. You certainly wouldn't call the wild rabbit an 'alien species': because we know, for certain, that it's been here since Roman times... and probably much earli- er. Probably, it was introduced by the first humans who settled here during the Ghar Dalam phase, 7,000 years ago... Other species may have been introduced later: but they've all been present for long enough, to have intergrated within the local ecosystem. But then, there are also the in- digenous species: the ones that were here before the arrival of humans. And most important of all, there are the endemic species: i.e., the ones that you simply don't find at all, anywhere else in the world. In a sense, this brings us back to the rodent problem. Rats al- so pose a significant danger to other wildlife, don't they? Es- pecially breeding sea-bird col- onies; and the endemic lizards themselves... Unfortunately, yes. You men- tioned the extinction of the Selmunett wall-lizard, for in- stance. That was something I published when I was 14 years old... and the cause was, in fact, a rat infestation on Selmunett is- land. Rats, as I said before, are an invasive species; and this is pre- cisely why they have such a det- rimental effect, on local wildlife. Frogs are another excellent ex- ample. One of Malta's endemic species is the Painted Frog. It is our only amphibian; and it is unique to these islands. But we have completely de- stroyed its natural habitat. To- day, practically every fresh-water spring, in every valley, is filled with crayfish: an invasive species, that somehow got released into our natural water-ways; and with which the Painted Frog finds it impossible to compete. We are even finding the occa- sional terrapin species, let loose in the wild... and also another al- ien species of frog: which we dis- covered two decades ago, in Sar- rafflu, Gozo; but which we have now recorded in at least four five other sites in Gozo; and a couple of sites in Malta. And wherever this frog-species establishes itself: it will always out-compete the Painted Frog. Then there are snakes. In our more recent studies, we saw that some snake populations are quite stable; but others – namely, the Leopard Snake [lifgha]: the one associated with the legend of St Paul – has plummeted, recently. Now: the Leopard Snake – along with the Black Snake, and the Western Black Snake - is indigenous to Malta. The Cat Snake and the Algerian Whiptail, on the other hand, were probably introduced by the First World War. However, they all found their own niches within the eco- system; and they don't pose any problem, at all. What most people don't know, however, it that we have record- ed another five alien species of snake, recently. Some of them are already quite common; others rare; and some... well, we're afraid that they might even be geneti- cally polluting the local popula- tions, by 'hybridizing' with them. Are any of these five species dangerous to humans? To humans? No, not at all. They're not venomous; and they do not pose any danger what- soever. They are, however, very dangerous to local wildlife. And we've already seen a major de- cline, in the population of one of our indigenous snakes.. Earlier, you mentioned the distinction between 'friend' and 'foe'. Now: we all can all see why some animals (like rats) are considered vermin. But what makes an animal our 'friend', exactly? In what ways do these 'non-pest' species ac- tually benefit, the people who tolerate them in their homes? Well, this is something I have always been trying to do: educat- ing the public, that not everything that enters their house is auto- matically a 'pest'. There are harm- ful intruders; there are casual in- truders; and there are beneficial species. Take scorpions, as an example. A scorpion is not 'vermin'; it is not dangerous to humans; it is actually a very beneficial species that controls roaches, and other pests. However, people do call us about scorpions: usually, because they are afraid of them. The same goes for snakes. Snakes prey chiefly on rodents: especially, young rats. So if you find a snake in your house... it probably means there are also ro- dents. After all, the snake has no other reason, to be trespassing in your house. It will only be there, in search of prey. Shrews are another good indica- tor that you have a pest-problem. A shrew cannot survive more than three hours, without eating. That's how fast its metabolism is. From my own experience, I can tell you that - just to keep one shrew alive - you need at least one-to-five cockroaches, a day. So if there are shrews in your house: you DEFINITELY have a roach problem... The same goes for geckos; bats; and other wildlife, in general. These are all part of our natural heritage; and we should be pro- tecting them... even by eliminat- ing all these ridiculous 'phobias', and 'superstitions', that we have gathered over the years. I mean: I wrote almost a com- plete book about all the hearsay, and folklore, surrounding these animals. Come on! We're in 2023, now. It's ridiculous...