Latest news with #Bothropsinsularis
Time of India
a day ago
- Science
- Time of India
Why Snake Island is one of Earth's deadliest places: 4,000 venomous vipers per square metre, even the Navy stays away
Just 33 kilometres off the coast of São Paulo, Brazil, lies a place few dare to approach, Ilha da Queimada Grande , better known as Snake Island. Its nickname isn't just folklore. The island is home to an estimated 2,000–4,000 golden lancehead viper s ( Bothrops insularis ), one of the most venomous snakes in the world. So dangerous is this rocky, forest-covered island that Brazil has banned all public access. Even the Navy only visits once a year, and always with a doctor and antivenom in tow. Where Is Snake Island and Why Are There So Many Snakes? Snake Island is located in the Atlantic Ocean, around 90 km southwest of São Paulo city. Over 11,000 years ago, rising sea levels cut off the hill from mainland Brazil. With no predators and little mammal prey, the isolated population of snakes evolved to hunt birds, especially migratory species. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 10년 묶은 뱃살 안빠진다면 '이것' 하세요 워킹맘 로즈 더 알아보기 Undo To catch their fast-moving prey mid-flight, the golden lancehead evolved venom up to five times more potent than its mainland relatives. A single bite can cause kidney failure, internal bleeding, and tissue necrosis. Meet the Golden Lancehead Viper Scientific Name- Bothrops insularis Average Length- 70–90 cm Venom Strength- ~5x stronger than mainland Bothrops jararaca Main Prey- Migratory birds like the Chilean elaenia IUCN Status- Critically Endangered Despite their lethal bite, there are no verified medical cases of bites on the island—because almost no one is allowed to set foot there. Live Events Why Humans Are Banned from Visiting Snake Island Several reasons justify the strict ban: 1. Human Safety The island's steep cliffs and dense forest, combined with one snake per square metre in some areas, make rescue almost impossible in emergencies. 2. Conservation In the past, wildlife smugglers offered up to Rs 25 lakh ($30,000) per golden lancehead for the exotic pet trade. Poaching has since threatened the snake's survival. 3. Scientific Access Only Only approved herpetologists with federal permits and a medical escort are allowed. They must carry satellite phones and enough antivenom for the entire team. Snake Island Myths and the Real Threats Tales abound of pirates planting snakes to guard treasure, or a lighthouse keeper's family dying mysteriously. But science offers a simpler explanation: isolation, evolution, and bird-based hunting. What's more disturbing are the real threats the golden lancehead faces: Illegal poaching, which damages genetic diversity Shrinking bird populations due to deforestation on the mainland Inbreeding, leading to deformities and lower fertility Some researchers warn that removing just 25–40 snakes per year could drive the species to extinction. Can Tourists Visit Snake Island? No. The Brazilian government has made it illegal for civilians to land on the island. Only approved scientific teams are allowed to enter, and even they face rigorous health and safety checks. What's the Bigger Story Behind Snake Island? Though the island's nickname fuels countless horror stories, its real tale is one of survival. The golden lancehead is critically endangered. While it may seem like a deadly predator, it's the one now fighting to stay alive—battling climate change, habitat loss, and human greed. Ironically, its venom holds potential for treating high blood pressure and other disorders. So, while humans can't visit, saving Snake Island could help save lives. Snake Island FAQs Q1: How many snakes live on Snake Island? Approximately 2,000–4,000 golden lancehead vipers. Q2: Why is the golden lancehead so venomous? To quickly kill birds before they fly away with the snake's only meal. Q3: Can you legally visit with a private boat? No. Only scientists with federal permits and medical support may land. Q4: Does anyone live on the island? No. The lighthouse was automated in the 1920s, and no humans live there. Q5: Is the golden lancehead endangered? Yes. It's listed as Critically Endangered due to poaching and inbreeding. Snake Island may sound like something out of a thriller movie, but it's a very real place with very real stakes. The golden lancehead's home is dangerous to humans, but humans have proven far more dangerous to the snake. Protecting this isolated island is no longer just about avoiding a deadly bite, it's about saving a species on the edge. Inputs from TOI
Forbes
27-03-2025
- Science
- Forbes
A Herpetologist Explores ‘Snake Island' — Home To The World's Largest Concentration Of Venomous Snakes
Few places in the world are more dangerous than Ilha da Queimada Grande — the Brazilian island where ... More venomous vipers rule the land and only a few researchers are ever allowed. Despite their fearsome reputation, snakes and their lives are always a hot topic for humans. From keeping them as pets to watching them in action every chance we get, we've always found a way to keep snakes close. In Manitoba, families crowd wooden platforms to watch tens of thousands of red-sided garter snakes mate en masse at the Narcisse Snake Dens. In Colorado, a rattlesnake 'mega den' livestreams newborns slithering between their mothers' coils, gaining fans and nicknames in the chatroom like 'Woodstock' and 'Agent 008.' But not every serpent spectacle comes with a picnic table and a selfie spot. There is one island in Brazil where snakes reign supreme. A place so densely packed with venomous vipers that even the Brazilian government has barred civilians from setting foot on its shores. Ilha da Queimada Grande, commonly known as Snake Island, lies off the coast of São Paulo and harbors an estimated 2,000 to 4,000 critically endangered golden lancehead pit vipers — though studies suggest numbers are closer to the lower end. These snakes possess venom potent enough to rapidly immobilize prey and cause severe tissue destruction in humans. Only a handful of researchers are granted access each year — and even they tread lightly. Ilha da Queimada Grande wasn't always an island. Around 11,000 years ago, it was just a ridge along Brazil's southeastern coastline — until rising seas carved it off from the mainland, leaving whatever lived there to fend for itself. And for one species of pit viper, life would never be the same again. That snake was the Bothrops jararaca, a notorious mainland species responsible for many of Brazil's venomous snakebites. On the continent, it preyed on rodents and reptiles, but once isolated, its options changed rapidly. Stranded without mammals and under constant pressure to catch fast-moving birds, a population of Bothrops jararaca slowly became something else entirely. Today, its descendant — the golden lancehead pit viper (Bothrops insularis) — is longer and deadlier. Found nowhere else but this forested rock, it has evolved venom so potent it can take down its prey with terrifying speed, ensuring that even a glancing bite can bag a meal before escape is possible. This isolation rewrote the rules of survival for Bothrops insularis. On this island with no large predators, venom became this viper's greatest competitive advantage. While 41 bird species have been recorded on Snake Island, the golden lancehead relies almost entirely on just two — the Chilean elaenia (Elaenia chilensis) and the yellow-legged thrush (Turdus flavipes). Both are migratory songbirds that arrive in seasonal waves. Elaenias arrive in late summer, and thrushes arrive in the winter. Perhaps more importantly, both are just the right size and slow enough to catch. Interestingly, the study noted that the southern house wren (Troglodytes musculus) — despite being the island's most abundant resident species — was able to avoid the viper's deadly fangs. And while the golden lancehead has been observed preying on other creatures like centipedes and lizards, it appears to make up an insignificant part of its diet. The golden lancehead's preference for perching migratory birds has been forged by necessity. With no mammals and few reptiles to hunt, adult lanceheads have evolved to target these transient flocks with surgical precision. Their venom, the fastest-acting of any lancehead snake, ensures birds drop quickly — often before they have time to take flight. Snakes even adjust their behavior to match their prey. While usually found coiled on the forest floor, lanceheads have been observed climbing trees during elaenia season, waiting motionless on branches to ambush birds mid-forage. The golden lancehead's venom evolved for one job — to kill quickly. In fact, as mentioned in the video, the venom is almost 5 times more toxic than its mainland relatives, capable of killing human tissue, hemorrhaging the brain and triggering massive intestinal bleeding. That biochemical brutality has made the snake a target for scientists and smugglers alike. On the black market, a single golden lancehead can fetch anywhere between $10,000 to $30,000. And there's real promise of scientific breakthroughs. The venom of other Bothrops species have already shown pharmacological potential in the development of antitumoral compounds that could help in the treatment of certain cancers, according to a February 2024 study published in Toxicon. Another striking example of Bothrops venom's medical value is captopril — a groundbreaking blood pressure medication developed from Bothrops jararaca venom, which revolutionized the treatment of hypertension and paved the way for modern ACE inhibitors. In that razor-thin space between danger and discovery, Ilha da Queimada Grande may yet hold the key to something greater. On an island where no human lives and few dare to walk, a critically endangered snake could one day save lives — demonstrating that even in the most hostile environments, nature continues to shape science in unexpected ways While the golden lancehead may not make for a great pet, a lot of non-venomous snakes do. How well do you connect with your pet snake? Take the science-backed Pet Personality Test to find out now.
