An island spread over an area of only 43 hectares ( 106 acres ) is Snake Island. It is also known as Ilha da Queimada Grande located on the coast of Brazil's Atlantic Ocean. It is administrated that it is a part of the municipality of Itanhaém in the State of São Paulo. It is 206 meters above from sea level. It has a temperate climate. This island is the home of the critically endangered venomous golden lancehead pit viper (Bothrops insularis).
Snake island was the main land of Brazil but when sea level rise about thousand years ago they got trapped on this place. Ilha da Queimada is closed for local public and visitors in order to protect both people and snake population. Only few are allowed to go there for the sake of checking and investigation about pirates etc. Brazilian Navy is allowed to go there for some reasons.
It is also notified that only a few researchers can also go there vetted by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation. It is a Brazilian conservation unit. lIha da Queimada has variety of vegetation on vast ranges but it is also destroyed by the local people of Brazil. This island is covered by rainforests, bare rocks and grassy cleared areas as a result of deforestation.
The term used for snake island "Queimada" ia a Portuguese word that means "burnt". Local people of Brazil burn the rainforests for the sake of planting banana trees but when the sea level arises and the production of snakes increases they left everything and save their lives. A lighthouse was built in 1909 to keep the ships away from the island. This light house help to keep aware of the Danger.
It is heard that a family took care of the lighthouse but the snakes went into the house and kill them all. From then there is no human inhibition in the lighthouse. It is also heard that they left the lighthouse when it was automated. There are so many snakes on the island so there is a big competition among species of snakes for resources. There are also 41 species of birds found in snake island. But Golden Lancehead relies only on two species.
One is House Wren and the other is Flycatcher. According to a survey there is almost 430,000 snake are populated in the snake land. But according to recent estimates the population of snakes is much lower than the former. And According to first systematic there are almost 2000 to 4000 golden lancehead snakes. In 2015 , herpetologists on a Discovery channel a documentary stated that the population of golden lancehead remains 2000 to 4000 but it is also notified that it is also a risk due to resources.
Now they are included in the list of endangered species. Some people steal the golden lancehead snake to get their venom. Their venom is used in the manufacturing of medicine used for the cure of heart diseases. The Snake Island is also a home of smaller population of Dipsas albifrons . It is a non venomous snake species. The island which is spreaded over an area of 106 acres has temperate climate similar to its neighbouring island Nimer.
The species present on this island are helpful for the manufacturing of medicine by using their venom. These are also used to cure cancer etc. There is a myth about the island that some pirates had hidden some treasure on this island and they left the snakes to look after that treasure so there are plenty of snakes on this is land . But it is not correct.
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Is it true???🤔
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