The island of the Atlantic that no one can go

They call it "the deadliest island in the world" and it's not just a catchy title, but an existing and infinitely gloomy reality.

So at 33 kilometers from the coast of his state Sao Paulo, some hundred kilometers from the city center, you will find a small island of 110 acres.

And he will only see it from the sea, as the boatman will not take you to the shores. And why it is forbidden and why it is afraid.

You see in its soils the greatest concentration takes place venomous snakes from anywhere else on Earth!

Welcome to Ilha de Queimada Grande, Brazil, the Island of the Snakes as everyone says, a place created with the materials of the worst nightmare. Because the snakes that live here belong to the most deadly in the universe.

In a country like that Brazil not devoid of beauty, this small island at first glance looks like it belongs to the same wavelength. Mild subtropical climate, pristine landscape and no human exploitation.

In other words, the tourist who has not been informed about what he is facing will think about what he needs to dive for. Once he learns, he will definitely change course…

Man has not inhabited or exploited the Ilha de Queimada Grande for one simple reason: there is no room for him.

Scientists estimate that the island is crowded with 1-5 venomous snakes per square meter. And since they feed on the abundant migratory birds that bad luck brings them to rest here, the number of reptiles is unusually high.

The venomous vipers that live here are not found anywhere else in the world. Bothrops insularis is the scientific name for the highly venomous snake, a species of viper in shades of yellow and brown.

It is one one of the deadliest snake species in the world, in the first places and in the poisonous of Latin America, as its toxins kill a person in less than an hour. You understand his powerful poison, as the flesh melts around the point of attack.

In a species that feeds exclusively on πουλιά, was the next poison to evolve to act instantly. The snake must neutralize its prey immediately so that it does not fly away. And on an island where the competition between predators is fierce, the effectiveness of the poison is crucial in terms of survival.

The genus to which this "golden viper" belongs, as it is commonly called, is responsible for 90% of the loss of human life in Brazil due to snakes. It is extremely aggressive and even more aggressive is the isolated species of Snake Island.

Even with the antidote, you have a 3% chance of dying. And death he looks horrible. It comes with kidney failure, necrosis of muscle tissue and bleeding in the brain and intestines.

As for both sexes, bothrops are responsible for most human deaths across the Americas, North and South.

The viper living on the Snake Island ranges on average 1 meter, with this "1-5 venomous snakes per square meter" obviously gaining even more frightening proportions.

Biologist Marcelo Duarte, who studies endemic species viper of the island and has been found in its lands more than 20 times, confirms that the concentration of snakes is unimaginably high, however it is said that the number 1 snake per square meter is safer.

As for their poison, in addition to the neurotoxins we find in vipers, it also has hemotoxin, dissolving the red cells of prey. The vipers used to be over 400.000, but the latest estimates (2015) speak of a population of only 2.000-4.000 snakes, which makes them a "highly endangered" species.

Although the legend wants pirates to bring snakes to the island to protect the corsair treasures buried there, in fact their population snakes evolved over thousands of years. And without human intervention.

Eleven years ago, sea levels rose high enough to isolate Ilha da Queimada Grande from mainland Brazil. The snakes that lived here thus drew a different evolutionary path, which is why their explicit differences from the viper that lives in the interior of Brazil (Bothrops jararaca), with which they share many similarities.

The island's snakes are not threatened by terrestrial predators, a situation that allowed them to reproduce rapidly. The only challenge they had to deal with was the lack of land loot. To find food, they had to look at the branches of the trees, where for a long time they stopped their long journey. migratory birds.

And since their prey is exclusively winged, their venom had to be adapted to the new conditions. So it kills instantly and is 3-5 times stronger than the venom of related viper species.

The locals have many stories to tell you about the horrible fate of those who arbitrarily stepped on the shores of the Snake Island.

Folk tales and legends, that is, like that fisherman who went down to the island in search of bananas and was found dead days later in his boat, in a pool of blood.

Second favorite story, that of the last lighthouse keeper of the island and his family. Because yes, man thought of making it lighthouse there! According to historical records, the lighthouse actually operated for a while, from 1909 until the 1920s.

It is unclear why it was abandoned, but locals have the answer: the last lighthouse keeper, his wife and their three children became food for the snakes, which entered the house one night through the forgotten open window.

Due to the current danger, the Brazilian state is strictly prohibiting visits to the cursed island. And she secures it with her patrols Coast Guard and the Navy, which is also formally in charge of adhering to the prohibitive measures.

Only if you are a biologist or an eminent reptilian can you step on the island for your research and the mission must include a doctor. The lighthouse keepers, who come once a year in the presence of the Navy to check the operation of the automated lighthouse, have a doctor with them.

In fact, the study of this particular viper is ongoing, as science hopes that by understanding its evolution it will learn more about the highly aggressive species Bothrops. Understanding whose behavior is extremely important is the snake that kills more Brazilians than any other.

The Marcelo Duarte of the Brazilian Butantan Institute even considers that poison This particular viper could even be used for medicinal purposes. In an interview in 2014 in Vice, he had stated that the investigations are promising, as the venom of the snake Island snake proves to be a valuable ally in the fight against heart disease, clots, etc.

And as science, pharmaceuticals and wildlife collectors have created a good black market and for this viper, biopaths, as they are called, have been spotted several times in Ilha da Queimada Grande.

After all, a viper from the island catches between $ 10.000-30.000 on the black market. This, combined with the general deterioration of its natural habitat, has decimated the viper population. Science tells us that it has lost more than 50% of its number in the last 15 years.

The viper of the Island of the Serpents is found today in Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature as an extremely endangered species. That is, one step before the final disappearance.

Maybe in some years the Snake Island will be another tourist paradise off the coast of Brazil.

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