Ilha da Queimada Grande
Island off the coast of Brazil
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Key Takeaways
- Ilha da Queimada Grande , more commonly referred to as Snake Island , is an island off the coast of Brazil in the Atlantic Ocean.
- The island, which has a land area of 43 hectares (106 acres), is administered as part of the municipality of Itanhaém in the State of São Paulo.
- Snake Island is the only natural home of the critically endangered, venomous golden lancehead pit viper ( Bothrops insularis ), whose diet consists of birds.
- The ensuing evolutionary pressure allowed the snakes to adapt to their new environment, increasing rapidly in population and rendering the island dangerous to public visitation.
Ilha da Queimada Grande, more commonly referred to as Snake Island, is an island off the coast of Brazil in the Atlantic Ocean. It has become famous for its abundance of snakes, hence its common name. The island, which has a land area of 43 hectares (106 acres), is administered as part of the municipality of Itanhaém in the State of São Paulo. It has a temperate climate, and its terrain varies from bare rock to rainforest.
Snake Island is the only natural home of the critically endangered, venomous golden lancehead pit viper (Bothrops insularis), whose diet consists of birds. The snakes became trapped on the island thousands of years ago, following the end of the last ice age, when rising ocean levels disconnected the island from the mainland. The ensuing evolutionary pressure allowed the snakes to adapt to their new environment, increasing rapidly in population and rendering the island dangerous to public visitation.
Queimada Grande is closed to the public for the protection of both people and snakes; access is available only to the Brazilian Navy and selected researchers vetted by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation, the Brazilian federal conservation unit.
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