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Snake Island: A Bizarre Story about the Most Poisonous Island on Earth
The golden lancehead quickly makes you dead
Nayeryouakim in Wikimedia Commons (licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0)
Only 30 kilometers (21 mi) off the coast of Brazil, there is an island called Ilha da Queimada Grande or Snake Island. With a mild climate and surrounded by the crystal-blue sea, it looks heavenly: The rocky coast ideal for cliff jumping and a lush forest above for chillin’. A paradise indeed from a bird’s-eye view.
But it’s dangerous even for birds.
According to scientists, there is no place on Earth with a larger concentration of snakes. With around 430,000 square meters (106 acres) in area, this isle is the only natural home to poisonous golden lancehead vipers (Bothrops insularis).
The snake got its name after its yellowish-brown color of the skin and the head in the shape of a spear, like all genus Bothrops. It can grow to 70 cm (2 ft 3 in) in length and is one of the most poisonous in the world. They believe its venom is so strong that it can dissolve human tissue quickly.
But the snake isn’t a swimming type, so how come did it get to the island and when?
