No Human Is Allowed To Visit Snake Island As It's Home To 4,000 Of The World's Deadliest Snakes

By maks in Interesting On 21st February 2024
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Imagine something like a 'puppy island' or 'bunny island.' That sounds adorable, doesn't it?

However, there's a place known as Snake Island, and it's far from the cute and cuddly fantasy you might have in mind. 

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In fact, it's so dangerous that it's completely off-limits to humans.

Queimada Grande, though it spans just 106 acres, is teeming with an estimated 4,000 snakes.

The golden lancehead. Credit: caio acquesta/Getty Images

That's about three to five of these slithering creatures per square meter.

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But we're not talking about the kind of snakes you might find harmlessly slithering through the grass in the UK, nor the types you'd daringly drape around your shoulders like Britney Spears. These are golden lancehead vipers.

Sounds intimidating, doesn't it?

This snake species is critically endangered and ranks among the most venomous snakes globally.

The golden lancehead viper calls Snake Island, located about 30 miles off Brazil's coast, its exclusive home.

Though their diet mainly consists of birds, their venom is so potent that it can fatally harm humans, potentially causing death within just an hour.

So, it's not exactly a letdown that visiting this island is prohibited, both for the safety of people and the preservation of these snakes. 

After all, who would willingly sign up for an encounter that could result in their flesh being dissolved by snake venom?

The history of how these snakes ended up isolated on Queimada Grande is fascinating. 

Snake Island. Credit: Google Earth

Thousands of years ago, after the last ice age concluded and sea levels rose, the island became separated from the mainland of Brazil, leaving the snakes stranded.

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Only a select few scientists are granted permission to visit Snake Island each year. 

However, a reporter from 9 News once received extraordinary permission to visit for a 60 Minutes segment, accompanied by a medical team.

Tara Brown, speaking with news.com.au, recalled being advised against the visit by local fishermen.

She said: "When we're speaking to local fisherman, they told us, 'That's not a good idea, you don't want to go there'."

"There are legends about a whole family being killed there, and of pirates burying treasure on the island and the snakes being put there to protect the treasure."

"The fishermen said they never went there, or they would die." 

Over time, the venom of these snakes has evolved to become even more lethal.

Brown explained: "They're different to their mainland cousins in that they're five times more venomous and they are among the top 10 most poisonous snakes in the world."

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"They hunt and eat birds. Not the local birds, who have become too smart for them, but larger migratory birds, boobies, who come by on their migration."

"And the snakes' venom has become more potent because their prey is bigger."

"It's an incredibly interesting evolutionary experiment for scientists to observe."

"This is a laboratory in the wild, if you like. You see evolution at play."

Indeed, the scientific intrigue of Snake Island is undeniable.

But personally, I'd be more than happy to appreciate it from a safe distance, far from the reach of those venomous inhabitants.