Snakes on this Brazilian island are so venomous, they can melt human flesh (2024)

New Delhi,UPDATED: Nov 4, 2018 20:25 IST

If you suffer from ophidiophobia (fear of snakes) then this might be the most terrifying place for you.

Aboard Brazil's snake island or Ilha de Queimada Grande, which is about 90 miles from the city of Sao Paulo.

This island has been called one of the world's deadliest islands because it has the highest concentration of venomous snakes anywhere in the world.

And these are not just any normal snakes. Ilha da Queimada Grande is the only known home of the Golden Lancehead (Bothrops Insularis), one of the most venomous vipers in the world.

The snake's venom is said to be three to five times stronger than that of any mainland snake. Also, it's capable of melting 'human flesh,' and a human bitten by it can be dead within an hour.

But that's less likely to happen as the island is isolated.

Golden Lancehead Viper

• The lancehead can grow to be over 1 1/2 feet long and it's estimated that there are 2,000 to 4,000 snakes on the island
• Ilha de Queimada Grande is the only place in the world where the golden lancehead viper is found
• Lancehead snakes (close cousin of golden lancehead) are responsible for the most human deaths in North and South America
• This particular snake has a mortality rate of 7 per cent without treatment, and up to 3 per cent with treatment

Where did the snakes come from?

1. At one time, the island's land mass was attached to the mainland. But rising sea levels separated the island from the coast around 11,000 years ago.

2. Snakes that were stranded on the island multiplied rapidly as there were no ground-level predators on the island.

3. There weren't many prey animals either. But the snakes with more toxic, fast-acting venom were able to grab migratory birds and as the golden lancehead evolved on the island, their venom grew more potent.

Did people live on the island before?

• Snake Island is uninhabited, but people used to live there for a short period up to until the late 1920s, when, according to locals, the local lighthouse keeper and his family were killed by vipers that slithered in through the windows
• Today, the navy periodically visits the lighthouse for upkeep and makes sure no adventurers are wandering too close to the island
• Because of the danger, the Brazilian government strictly controls visits to Ilha da Queimada Grande
• The island is also an important laboratory for biologists and researchers, who are granted special permission to visit the island in order to study the golden lancehead

Black market demand for lancehead venom

According to scientists, the snake's venom has showed positive results curing heart disease, circulation and blood clots. Snake venom from other species has also shown potential as an anti-cancer drug.

Because of this, there is a rise in the black market demand by scientists and animal collectors.

Some wildlife smugglers have been known to visit the island too. They trap the snakes and sell them illegally. A single golden lancehead can be sold for 10,000 USD to 30,000 USD.

The population of snakes on the Ilha da Queimada Grande has reduced by nearly 50 per cent in the last 15 years.

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed them as 'critically endangered' on their nature's red list.

Also read | Rare white snake found in Australia

Also read | This snake-man got himself bitten over 200 times to become immune to venom

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