27 Snake Island Brazil Facts That Will Totally Terrify You!

Poisonous or non-poisonous, snakes can be a nightmare when confronted by people anywhere in the world.

Islands can be breathtaking in their beauty, yet there's one such island that's beauty can only be heard about and not experienced. This is the famous Snake Island of Brazil, where there is not even a lighthouse keeper.

It's one thing to come across a snake once in a long while, but it's another frightening misadventure to be stepping on one with each step you take. Yes, you read that right; the very island we're talking about is so full of snakes that the walks you take across it might mean you are treading on snakes!

It is known as Ilha da Queimada Grande, or you can just call it 'Snake Island'. It is a small island located near the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.

Snake Island has a temperate climate with bare rocks, rainforests, and deforested grassy areas. Brazil consists of beautiful islands, but each beautiful island comes with its own dangers.

We all know that a snake's venom is very dangerous. In some species of snakes, their venom can cause melting human flesh. To avoid melting human flesh, it is important to know about venomous snakes, snake bites, snake venom, and other species, even if they are endangered species.

A snake bite on human skin or muscular tissue can cause intestinal bleeding and can be fatal with its fast-acting venom. There are even wildlife smugglers and animal collectors on this island, and the Brazilian government is taking care that the number of such people goes down.

There are various species of snakes, like the golden lancehead viper and mainland snake (also called mainland brethren).

After reading about the unique aspects of this Brazilian Island, be sure to check out our facts on how snakes move and poisonous snakes in Texas.

Past Human Inhabitants

The deforested grassy lands on the island are the result of humans setting fire to the land so as to grow a banana plantation, which clearly indicates that people inhabited the Snake Island. It is also the reason why the island got its name 'Queimada', which means forest fire in Portuguese.

Until the late 1909 and the '20s, the Snake Island had people living as lighthouse keepers, though this was later automated. After this, the last of humans left the island, making it the land of snakes alone!

Rumour has it that the last lighthouse keeper and his family didn't actually leave, but the entire family was fatally attacked by snakes that crept inside their house through an open window.

There's also a tale of pirates dropping the snakes on Snake Island so as to protect a buried treasure, while actually, the snakes have been evolving on the island since 11,000 years ago when the sea level rose to separate the island from mainland Brazil, causing the jararaca snakes that were believed to have lived on the island to evolve differently.

Because of its evident dangers, Snake Island is now closed to the public so as to protect humans and snakes alike. Only the Brazilian navy and selected researchers are granted access to the island, and any visits to the island other than from them are strictly restricted by the Brazilian government.

Location of Snake Island

Snake Island is a Brazilian island that is located off the coast of Brazil's mainland in the Atlantic Ocean. It is administered as part of the Itanhaém municipality in Sao Paulo.

The island is located around 93 mi (148.8 km) away from the coast of Sao Paulo. The area of the island is 4,600,000 sq ft (430,000 sq m), with the highest elevation being 676 ft (206 m).

The island is home to some of the most venomous snakes in the world, and as such, it is strictly off-limits for unauthorized visits. The snakes have been residing on the island in isolation from human beings and are therefore likely to be aggressive against any attempts of intrusion.

But that being said, there is virtually no limit to human greed.

In many countries, there is a demand for golden lancehead venom for its perceived medical or therapeutic effects. Research has indicated that the protein in the venom from the golden lancehead could help with curing heart disease, blood clots, and blood circulation.

However, it is neither scientifically proven nor confirmed by any medical department. Venom from some other snake species is used for research regarding a cure for cancer, further fuelling the demand.

As a result, many smugglers attempt to visit the island to capture the native lancehead snakes and extract their venom. This is despite the fact that golden lancehead snakes, which are the cousins to the mainland golden lanceheads, have an extremely potent venom that can lead to human death.

Moreover, golden lancehead snakes are responsible for almost 90% of snake bites on the island, making them the deadliest predator in the habitat.

This is not enough to deter black market traders, who venture out onto the island to get golden lancehead venom. This golden lancehead venom is then put up for sale on the black market, where it can fetch a considerably higher price.

Types Of Snakes On Snake Island

Like all other islands, Snake Island is also one of beauty, yet it is home to the world's deadliest snakes.

According to local legend, these snakes were introduced to the island by pirates who wanted to protect their treasures. But most experts agree that these are just rumors and that the presence of these snakes on the island can be attributed to the rising sea levels over several millennia.

Research has indicated that the island was once connected with the mainland, but rising sea levels led to the separation of the island from the mainland. Consequently, all the snakes who were stranded on the island 11,000 years ago quickly increased in numbers due to the absence of any natural predators prowling on the ground.

So how have snakes survived on the island in the absence of necessary food sources? The lack of prey animals was compensated for by the arrival of migratory birds. The venom of the golden lanceheads is extremely toxic. The fast-acting venom helped the snakes to capture migratory birds to meet their food requirements.

The snakes washed ashore when the sea level rose and engulfed the land that connected to the mainland. Since there were no predators to endanger their lives, the snakes reproduced rapidly and literally filled the whole island, making it a dangerous site to the public.

According to previous research, long ago, the snake population of the island was around 430,000, including venomous and non-venomous snakes, which is much higher than the latest estimates.

But that doesn't mean it's safe since the island is the only home to one of the world's deadliest snakes, Golden Lancehead vipers, having a population of 2,000-4,000. A snakebite from a Golden Lancehead is most probably fatal, and if you're to be saved, the golden hour is approximately one hour from the moment of the snake bite.

Common venomous snake bites are fatal enough, to begin with!

Flora And Fauna Of Snake Island

Snake Island is a small island with a thick rainforest, deforested grassy land, and rocks stretched over approximately 110 acres (43 ha) of land with a moderate climate. The rainforest covers 62 acres (25 ha) of the island, and the rest is surrounded by rocks and grasslands.

The snakes have increased in their population by hundreds of thousands, which suggests that there are no animals to prey on them, and also since there are thousands of thousands of snakes who are literally predators, there're no other known existing animals on Snake Island.

Even if they did live there, they would have become victims of the life-threatening snakes.

Black Market Demand For Lancehead Venom

Unfortunately, human greed sets no bound, and the same applies to the trade of lancehead venom.

Since Golden Lanceheads are one of a kind, there're smugglers who go to the island and trap the snakes to sell them on the black market for large amounts of money, ranging between $10,000-30,000. They do this to obtain snake venom.

This also adds to the dreadful possibility of releasing them into other parts of the world if buyers are not careful with them.

Protecting The Golden Lancehead Viper

What if we told you that a snake that could actually melt your flesh needs protection?

Well, the Golden Lancehead Viper is a species of snake known only to live on Snake Island. They are considered endangered by the Brazilian government, and they take great care to make sure that people don't endanger their life in any way, even if it's the snake who's more dangerous than humans!

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for snake island brazil facts, then why not take a look at our rat snake vs. copperhead facts or rattlesnake rattle facts.