I was lucky enough to photograph the Canarian shrew (Crocidura canariensis) during our stay on Fuerteventura. This shrew is endemic to the eastern Canary islands (Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and it’s islets) and is the last surviving terrestrial mammal native to the Canary Islands. All other native mammals -such as the lava mouse- have become extinct. Sadly the Canarian shrew, classified as endangered, is not doing well either. It seems to be most threatened by habitat loss and the numerous species introduced to the islands, including feral cats.
Another threat are discarded bottles. Every year, many bottles, cans and other containers for beverages are consumed and dumped in nature. They may represent a threat to all kind of small animals which are trapped and die inside them. After some research I found a case of a discarded bottle on mainland Spain with 54 (!) dead small mammals inside. You can imagine such a deathtrap may affect endangered populations of species with reduced ranges, like the Canarian shrew.
Some information on the distribution of the Canarian shrew is based on remaining’s found in bottles. With this in mind, I couldn’t resist having a closer look at a discarded bottle I saw in suitable habitat on Fuerteventura. I couldn’t believe my eyes: the bottle was filled with dead animals. At least 4 Canarian shrews and many Atlantic lizards (Gallotia atlantica) died because someone was too lazy to take their rubbish with them. How sad is that?!
