Not only an aquatic threat: A Caspian whipsnake Dolichophis caspius (Gmelin, 1789) entangled in discarded fishing net onshore on Lesvos Island, Greece.

The use of fishing nets has a widespread impact on marine, saline-brackish, and freshwater environments, as well as the species occurring in them. While the nets are intended to capture fish and other target species, they often result in high mortality rates of many other fauna species through bycatch and entanglement. Fishing nets that are lost, destroyed, or reach the end of their lifespan are often referred to as "ghost nets", posing a major threat to fauna as hundreds of species become fatally entangled. Here, we report for the first time an incident of a terrestrial snake, a Caspian whipsnake (Dolichophis caspius), which we found entangled onshore in a ghost net on Lesvos Island, Greece. The snake was released into its natural habitat after being carefully disentangled. This incident highlights the need for proper disposal of fishing nets to prevent future entanglements and mortality of non-target species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]