It would seem that if you look at this island from a bird’s eye view, there would be nothing unusual about it. But this is only at first glance… This island is a living hell for people who are afraid of reptiles, especially snakes. There are, to put it mildly, “a lot” of them here: according to some calculations, there is at least one snake per square meter of land!
But did people live here? And are all those creepy myths and legends associated with its history true? Well, to find out the answers to these questions, we’re going to Queimada Grande – an island ruled not by people, but by cold-blooded reptiles!
Where is snake paradise?
Queimada Grande Island, or “Snake Island,” is an island located in the Atlantic Ocean 35 km off the east coast of Brazil, south of São Paulo. The island’s area is only 0.43 km²! The highest point of the island is about 200 meters high.
This island is completely uninhabited, except for the main inhabitants of the island – snakes and other animals, many of which are the first food. There is a lighthouse on the island, but it works in autonomous mode. Fishing and diving are prohibited in the local waters. Even swimming to Keimada Grande is not allowed at the legislative level! Only teams of scientists are allowed on the “Snake Island”, and even that is not all: representatives of scientific organizations must obtain special permission to visit Keimada Grande. They often conduct research on the island and even shoot documentaries.
Legends of “Snake Island”
The history of Queimado Grande is full of myths and legends that local guides like to scare ordinary tourists with. These stories have given the island a reputation for being far from peaceful and safe.
Perhaps one of the scariest stories of this island is the legend of the lighthouse keeper. According to it, once this lighthouse did not work automatically, as it does now, but manually – it was watched over by a keeper who lived here with his wife and children. One night, while all the family members were sleeping, snakes entered the lighthouse through the window. Out of fear, everyone ran outside, where they became victims of the reptiles hanging from the trees.
There is also a legend about a fisherman who saw “Snake Island” and decided to go ashore in search of fruit. But as soon as he did, he was immediately attacked by a snake. After being bitten, he only managed to climb back into the boat, where he died in unbearable suffering.
There are also stories of daredevils who decided to visit the island despite the bans of local authorities disappearing without a trace. Similar stories are known, including those involving entire groups of scientists.
Keimad Grandi also has its own fabulous history associated with mysterious treasures. According to this legend, pirates, having learned about the unusual feature of the “Snake Island”, decided to bury their treasure here, leaving it under the reliable protection of the crawling inhabitants of this amazing place.
The history of Queimado Grande
In fact, from Portuguese, Queimada Grande (“Ilha de Queimada Grande”) is not translated as “Snake Island”, but as “Burnt” or “Burnt”. But why? There were reasons for this, which are full of mysteries in the history of this island.
As it turned out, people once lived on the island! When they first moved here, almost the entire island was covered in dense tropical forests. To create banana plantations, the pioneers had to burn some of the island’s “green cover.” To protect themselves from curious snakes at night, people lit bonfires at the entrance to their homes. Therefore, from afar, it seemed that the island was on fire. The settlers lived on this island for a long time and managed to get used to the local places quite well. The islanders were engaged in fishing, for which they even built their own pier. In 1906, a lighthouse was built on Queimada Grande to illuminate the way for passing ships. However, in 1920, all the inhabitants were evicted from the island, and the lighthouse was put into autonomous operation. This was done not because of the large number of snakes on the island and the danger to the settlers, but in order to preserve a unique species of snake that lives only here, on Queimado Grande, the island bothrops.
The main inhabitants of the island
There are many species of snakes found on Queimado Grande, but the species that attracts the most attention among them is the island bothrops.
- This species belongs to the viper family. It is endemic and lives only on the “Snake Island” in the world. Interestingly, such snakes spend their entire lives on trees and bushes. Its diet includes birds, centipedes and other snakes.
- Island Bothrops are very poisonous: a mouse dies from their bite in just 2 seconds! If such a snake bites a person, then the muscle tissue will begin to die, acute renal failure and paralysis will rapidly develop. In addition, all this is accompanied by hemorrhages in the brain and intestines. A person’s chances of survival after a bite of an island Bothrops are small.
- The island’s bothrops are currently endangered. Scientists estimate that there are currently between 2,000 and 4,000 individuals on the island. To preserve this species, the Brazilian government granted the island the status of a specially protected area in 1985.
- The venom of the island bothrops, when used in certain doses, can help fight cancer. That’s why one gram of this snake’s venom costs from $30,000 on the black market!