Do not get any ideas, adventure hunters. If you haven’t currently heard of Ilha de Queimada Grande, a stealthily gorgeous island off the coast of Brazil, you’ll be surprised to hear that is possibly the deadliest put on Earth. Why? Well, in English, it’s called Snake Island, and perhaps that’s all you need to know.
Snake Island is home to absolutely no people (in reality, it’s unlawful for people to go there without special authorization) and as much as 4,000 highly poisonous snakes. And these aren’t your ordinary poisonous snakes, either. The idyllic-looking Queimada Grande is the only place worldwide where golden lancehead pit vipers (Bothrops insularis) live.
Research recommends this species’ venom is particularly powerful. For one thing, it’s the fastest-acting venom of any lancehead snake. It’s also 5 times more powerful than venom from Bothrops jararaca, a carefully associated lancehead that resides on mainland Brazil.
Scientists believe the golden lanceheads’ venom is so powerful due to the fact that they’ve developed to catch airborne victim, particularly migratory birds that unconsciously pick up a rest on Snake Island. Common venom works too gradually. After a snake with normal venom struck, the bird would fly away, just to die somewhere else and feed a various animal. On the other hand, a golden lancehead’s venom makes a near-instant kill.
Can You Go to Snake Island?
You can’t go to Snake Island unless you’re a scientist. The Brazilian government has restricted access to the island given that the 1920s. This is both to safeguard human beings from the golden lanceheads and to safeguard the golden lanceheads from human beings. (The snakes are seriously threatened.)
Unless you’re studying these animals, we’re unsure why you ‘d want to go to among the most dangerous put on Earth, anyhow.
Other than for possibly the pirate treasure, but you didn’t hear that from us.
The legends surrounding Snake Island are fascinating. In an interview with 60 Minutes Australia, one local informs the tale of a household that resided on the island– the lighthouse keepers. He states one night, snakes crawled into the household’s home through the windows and killed them all. Another legend suggests pirates concealed treasure there, where the snakes would secure it for all of eternity.
Discover more about Snake Island and view a team of researchers go there to “milk” the snakes:
What captivates you most about Snake Island?
A stealthily lovely island off the coast of Brazil is potentially the most dangerous put on Earth. Invite to Snake Island.