If you’re dreaming of a sunny escape to an island, Ilha de Queimada Grande, or ‘Snake Island’, might not be your ideal spot. Located off the coast of Brazil, it’s one of the most dangerous islands on Earth. Humans aren’t allowed to visit without special permission.
At just 106 acres, the island is home to around 4,000 snakes, including the highly venomous golden lancehead pit viper. These snakes are exclusive to the island, and their venom is deadly, often killing prey such as birds, lizards, and small animals. Despite this, the species is critically endangered.
The golden lancehead snake is about 70 to 118 cm long, with a pale yellow body marked by brown, leaf-shaped patterns. These snakes are uniquely adapted to the island’s isolation, becoming five times more poisonous than their mainland relatives. However, experts say the real threat to the snakes is not humans but the loss of their food source. Fewer birds are migrating through the island due to land clearing, which may impact the snake population.
Although it may seem like a dangerous place to visit, experts say snakes typically avoid humans. According to herpetologist Whit Gibbons, many snakes stay hidden and avoid confrontation. He explains, “Snakes don’t want to be seen. They care nothing about us unless we become a threat.”
If you’re imagining a peaceful visit to an island filled with cute animals like puppies or bunnies, Snake Island is far from that. The snakes living there are not the harmless kind but golden lancehead vipers, which have some of the most toxic venom in the world. The snakes’ isolation on the island occurred thousands of years ago when rising sea levels cut the island off from the mainland.
Because of the island’s dangers, human visits are strictly prohibited. It’s for the safety of both the visitors and the snakes, who are at risk due to a lack of food.
