The island where humans are forbidden

This mysterious island is known as Ilha da Queimada Grande, No humans are allowed  on Snake Island and with good reason. Snake Island located off the Southeastern coast of Brazil about 90 miles off the Sao Paulo Coast ,seems like another one of beautiful places at first glance     

 

Legand has it that the last fisherman who strayed too close to its shores was found days later adrift in his own boat, lifeless in a pool of blood, with snake bites on his body .According to another rumor, the last light house keeper ,along with his entire family ,died when a cadre of snakes slithered into his home through the windows

 

 

 

Although almost every Brazilian knows about the island , most would never dream of going there. The scary fact is  this small island is home thousand of deadly Golden Lancehead Pit Vipers with one and five snake per square meter. Snake Island used to be part of Brazil’s mainland , but when sea levels rose over 10,000 years ago it separated the landmass and turned it into an island. Since the island vipers had no prey but birds, they evolved to have extra – potent venom so that they could almost immediately kill any bird.

 

 

The island was thought to have population of about 430,000 snakes but recent estimates are much lower . This might have happened because there was a limited amount  of resources and the population became level

 

However in 2015 , it is estimated that there are over 2000 to 4000 Golden Lancehead Vipers on the island of Queimada Grande  According to the Smithsonian. The Golden Lancehead Snakes – a species of pit viper is one of the deadliest serpents in the world also because of the overall low population of the Golden Lancehead, the snake was labelled critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

 

 

 

It also was placed on the list of Brazil’s endangered animals . These vipers’ venom can kill a person in under an hour. A bite from a Golden Lancehead carries a seven percent chance of death and  even with treatment, victims still have a three percent of dying. The island is also home to a smaller population of Dipsus albefrons, a non venomous snake species. However this island is home, not just any snake, the worst kind of snakes.

 

Because of the danger, the Brazilian government strictly controls visits to Ilha da Queimada Grande. Even without government ban. The Brazilian Navy has closed the island to the public and the only people who are allowed on the island are research teams with the government ban.

 

So that it’s no wonder the island doesn’t see too many people going over every year . Everyone prefers sand around their feet on vacation, not slithering snakes, so Snake Island is not a place to visit and in fact. Any other destination is better than this one for holiday trip. So snake Island is definitely being crossed off the  ‘must travel ‘ list

 

 

by  Nuwandara Mudalige

Photo source : Internet