There are many notorious places in the world. Even at the mention of them, blood freezes, and the imagination draws all sorts of horrors. Brazil also has such an attraction. The island of snakes is the most terrible of all pieces of land known to the world, this is exactly the place where mortal danger lurks under every tree, on every square meter. It does not come from invented ghosts or non-existent monsters, but from quite real snakes.

Rumor has it that they even bitten to death the family of the lighthouse keeper, including his three daughters. Locals say that there were hundreds of bites on the bodies of the unfortunates. The lighthouse was left here, only now automatic, and the island with snakes in Brazil was banned from visiting absolutely all categories of citizens. The exceptions are people who sometimes need to check the health of the lighthouse, and scientists. But they too must receive special permission to set foot on this inhospitable piece of land.

(Brazil): description

This realm of horror and oblivion, officially called Keimada Grande, lies less than 22 miles west of The intriguing islet rises just 210 meters above the Atlantic Ocean. Its area is very small, approximately 437 square meters, and even then, including the rocky outcrops from the southern end. The shores of the island are steep and inaccessible, as if nature itself hints to people: they don't need to come here. And yet, Keimada Grande is very picturesque. Its lush green tropical vegetation, densely covering the hills, effectively contrasts with the golden color of the rocks, promising gorgeous photos. In the southern part, the same ill-fated lighthouse rises into the sky with a white finger. All this is bathed in the blue-blue ocean waters.

Hissing aborigines

The island of snakes in Brazil broke away from the mainland 11,000 years ago, which made it possible only here and nowhere else on Earth to survive the snakes of the species Island botrops. Forced to find themselves in an ecosystem from which there is no chance to escape, the reptiles ate everything that moved, and, left without natural enemies, multiplied to disgrace. Now there are 6 of them on each square meter. Taking into account the fact that the reptiles have spread unevenly across the island, somewhere they are not at all, but somewhere they gather in balls of 20 or more copies. The botrops' favorite pastime is to sit in a tree in ambush and pounce on their prey from a height. The main dish on their menu is the birds flying to the Snake Island in Brazil to nest. Reptiles diversify their diet with lizards, amphibians and scorpions.

Lifestyle

The island botrops, or the golden spearhead snake, in its tiny kingdom, faces difficulties not only in obtaining food, but also in prolonging the genus. All individuals here are close relatives, because foreign individuals do not come to the snake island in Brazil, even for mating. Due to the acute shortage of "suitors", snakes of this species are hermaphrodites, both males and females. The epithet "golden" was given to them due to the golden color of the scales that cover the body from the head and, as they say, to the toes. But in captivity, "gold" turns gray-brown. For camouflage, nature has scattered several dark stripes over their bodies. The length of snakes is more than a meter, but more often it does not exceed 70 cm. The epithet "spearhead" was given to them for a flat, pointed at the end of the muzzle. Bottrops are diurnal, looking for birds among the trees. They start mating in March and remain sexually active until the end of June. Baby snakes are born alive. There can be up to 10 of them in the nest. Young people, perhaps to protect themselves from hungry older comrades, are nocturnal.

Virulence

It was found that island botrops are the most poisonous among the representatives of their species. Their venom can kill an average mouse in 2 seconds, and in mammals tissue at the site of the bite begins to die off almost immediately. The mortality rate among humans is 7%, which is not so little. Moreover, if an antidote is immediately introduced to the bitten one, it will help only in 3% of cases. Fortunately, only the Snake Island in Brazil is teeming with these ideal killers, so so far no deaths have been recorded from their teeth. But the continent is home to less poisonous relatives of the island botrops. These ones kill more than 100 people a year. So that there are no more claims of man to the golden snake, the Brazilian government has forbidden to land on the island. Tourists can only walk around it on boats and boats.

The island of Keimada Grande, also called the Snake Island, is one of the most dangerous travel destinations in the world. Located off the Brazilian coast, the island includes about 445 km 2 of forests, and its main danger is that hundreds of thousands of different snakes, including venomous ones, live here.

Keimada Grande Island - a deadly natural wonder

This incredibly dangerous one is located about 32 kilometers off the coast of São Paulo in Brazil. Many locals are aware that it exists, but there are only a few who dared to set foot on the most dangerous island in the world, Keymad Grandi, and returned from there alive.

Not every adventurer will risk his life in order to admire the deadliest snakes in the world, capable of melting human flesh with their venom. Indeed, Keimada Grande, or Snake Island, is considered so life-threatening that the Brazilian authorities have banned visits. An interesting fact is that there is another Snake Island in Brazil, located in Rio de Janeiro, but without snakes.

Snake Island history

According to one of the theories of the origin of the island, 11 thousand years ago, the sea level rose significantly and separated the land from Brazil. The snakes that remained there, despite the favorable climatic conditions, were in a very difficult (in terms of food) position, which probably affected the lethality and bloodthirstiness of their future descendants.

Abandoned in complete isolation, the snakes continued their race, and they were fed by migratory birds, which used the island (Keimada Grande) as a transit point during their seasonal travels. Many snakes are excellent tree climbers, so it is not difficult for them to get food for themselves by hunting birds. From time to time, snakes themselves become prey, mainly young individuals. Cormorants arriving from attacking snake cubs, while avoiding adults.

Not the right place to stay

The island is called the Forbidden Island due to the fact that there are 5 per 1 m 2 of area, according to the legends. Perhaps this fact is a little exaggerated, but, nevertheless, it still has to do with real indicators. Keimada Grande is an island where snakes are the rightful owners of the territory, and people should better not appear here.

If you watch the island from the water, you can see whole tangle of snakes, which calmly bask in the sun on the coastal rocks. With a strong desire, one could try to evict these reptiles from the island. But the fact is that many of them are on the verge of extinction, and the island of Keimada Grande is the only place where they can be found, therefore all measures are taken to protect and protect them, despite the fact that they themselves are also able to stand for myself.

Island botrops is one of the planet

Despite its attractive appearance, the island has nothing to do with paradise. The only building in this uninhabited place is the lighthouse, erected in 1909, which is now working offline. Of the thousands of species of snakes on the island, the most dangerous island heatrack (island botrops) stands out. It is one of the deadliest snakes in the entire world. Her bite causes muscle tissue necrosis. Due to the incredibly strong poison, for example, an animal the size of a small mouse dies in 2 seconds.

Effect of an island botrops bite on a person

Bottrops is a very fast, strong and poisonous reptile. Its poison is dangerous not only for animals, but also for humans. Survivors of the bite tell the most creepy stories after meeting a snake. The fact is that the bitten places literally eats away, and human flesh falls off in whole pieces, and also there is a lot of blood loss, and the person experiences acute pain. After several deaths, attempts to settle in Keimada Grande (the island of poisonous snakes) have ceased.

Unsuccessful attempts to settle down the Snake Island

In the late 19th century, several businessmen from the city of São Paulo tried to colonize the island. The plans of the entrepreneurs were to break up extensive banana plantations in this area, burn out forests and destroy creeping reptiles. But the true owners of the island showed the colonialists who is the boss here. Once on the shore, the hired workers were immediately attacked by snakes, from which even high rubber boots could not save. This round ended in favor of the reptiles.

After some time, a more prepared group continued the colonization. The work clothes were made using a special technology and protected well from snake bites. However, another unaccounted problem arose. Caymad Grandi (Snake Island), whose inhabitants are terrifying, is characterized by a very hot climate, and workers had to make harsh choices: to be bitten or to die of suffocation. In such a rubberized suit in the heat, people simply could not stand their hearts.

They even tried to burn out the island, which was hampered by periodic precipitation. After unsuccessful attempts to recapture the island from the snakes, ownership of it returned to the state again. A lighthouse was built on the partially liberated territory, which, however, does not mean that you can find a refuge here, but warns that it is unsafe for human health to look here, which does not stop curious tourists who want to look at the snake-infested area at least from afar Island.

March 10th, 2017, 03:02 am

Biologists have named the most dangerous island in the world, which cannot be visited on your own due to the huge number of poisonous snakes that densely inhabit a small piece of land.

The island of Keimada Grande, which is located in the Atlantic Ocean near the Brazilian state of São Paulo, is also called the Snake Island. It would seem that this place is a real paradise, but this impression is deceiving. Visiting this island is akin to suicide!

The area of \u200b\u200bthe mysterious place is only 430 square kilometers. And only scientists visit the island, because it is teeming with snakes. Biologists have counted that about four thousand species live on it, including the most dangerous snake for humans, the botrops. One bite of this crumb can lead to death in a matter of minutes. This individual usually feeds on rodents and birds.

It is home to a huge number of poisonous snakes, many species of which are found only in this place. Brazilians themselves rarely know the official name of the island. For them, it will forever remain an island of prohibition and danger, or simply the Snake Island.

Local legends say that there are 5-6 snakes per square meter of this island.

And those who have been there at least once cannot but agree with this. At the moment, there is not a single living constantly living human soul there. All people have long ceased to consider this place as a habitat, and even for tourists from now on, the way there is completely closed. At the same time, the island continues to be also a closed natural history zone due to the presence of rare and endangered species of snakes on it. The state is doing everything to ensure that the island continues to be in a primitive state, without unnecessary human intervention.

Survival of the strongest on snake island

The only one who over the past few years has been able to reveal the secret over the island was the Discovery Channel, which filmed a documentary and showed really frightening footage of this place.

In addition, the inhabitants of neighboring islands can often observe huge snake balls, which are located on the rocks in warm and sunny places. Today, only in some cases specially trained people and scientists are allowed to enter the island for a more detailed study of some types of dangerous snakes.

The most dangerous type of snake on the island is botrops, which is popularly called the fever. Their poison is capable of causing complete necrosis of human tissue and quick death in a matter of minutes. The venom from the bite of a ghastrash is enough to fatally hit a mouse in just a couple of seconds.

The snake kingdom on the island has long lived by its own laws and rules. Many species of snakes continue to live throughout the territory, in contact with other species, and some prefer to retire and capture individual territories.

Isn't entertainment for the faint of heart?

At first glance, the island resembles a secluded paradise until you learn more about it or see everything with your own eyes. At the moment, locals offer boat trips for desperate tourists past the island and the rocks themselves with a poisonous danger. Many people choose more extreme entertainment - diving or fishing nearby this place.

According to rumors, there was once a lighthouse on the island, but after the snakes crawled there and killed all the employees, it had to be replaced with an automatic one.

THE REAL STORY OF THE FAMILY DEATH OF THE LIGHTHOUSE WATER

They say that one night in the house where the caretaker's family (the caretaker himself, his wife and three children) moved in, snakes crawled through the windows and attacked the sleeping people. Adults and children in panic jumped out of the Lonely Lighthouse on Keymada Grandidome and ran into the forest, where they were bitten by spearheads hanging from the trees. When the lighthouse stopped giving signals, a military vessel was sent to the island to find out the reasons. The sailors found only lifeless bodies of family members near the forest, and the lighthouse was teeming with thousands of snakes.

Since then, not a single person has risked living on the serpentarium island; a lighthouse has been installed here, operating in automatic mode.

However, research work is carried out on the island all year round, serpentologists are constantly observing the life of reptiles in natural habitat and shooting popular science films.

Snake Island history

According to one of the theories of the origin of the island, 11 thousand years ago, the sea level rose significantly and separated the land from Brazil. The snakes that remained there, despite the favorable climatic conditions, were in a very difficult (in terms of food) position, which probably affected the lethality and bloodthirstiness of their future descendants.

Abandoned in complete isolation, the snakes continued their race, and they were fed by migratory birds, which used the island (Keimada Grande) as a transit point during their seasonal travels. Many snakes are excellent tree climbers, so it is not difficult for them to get food for themselves by hunting birds. From time to time, snakes themselves become prey, mainly young individuals. Cormorants, arriving from the shores of Brazil, attack the baby snakes, while avoiding the adults.

If you watch the island from the water, you can see whole tangle of snakes, which calmly bask in the sun on the coastal rocks. With a strong desire, one could try to evict these reptiles from the island.

But the fact is that many of them are on the verge of extinction, and the island of Keimada Grande is the only place where they can be found, therefore all measures are taken to protect and protect them, despite the fact that they themselves are also able to stand for myself.

Effect of an island botrops bite on a person

Bottrops is a very fast, strong and poisonous reptile. Its poison is dangerous not only for animals, but also for humans. Survivors of the bite tell the most creepy stories after meeting a snake. The fact is that the bitten places literally eats away, and human flesh falls off in whole pieces, and also there is a lot of blood loss, and the person experiences acute pain. After several deaths, attempts to settle in Keimada Grande (the island of poisonous snakes) have ceased.

Unsuccessful attempts to settle down the Snake Island

In the late 19th century, several businessmen from the city of São Paulo tried to colonize the island. The plans of the entrepreneurs were to break up extensive banana plantations in this area, burn out forests and destroy creeping reptiles. But the true owners of the island showed the colonialists who is the boss here. Once on the shore, the hired workers were immediately attacked by snakes, from which even high rubber boots could not save. This round ended in favor of the reptiles.

After some time, the colonization was continued by a more prepared group. The work clothes were made using a special technology and protected well from snake bites. However, another unaccounted problem arose. Caymad Grandi (Snake Island), whose inhabitants are terrifying, is characterized by a very hot climate, and workers had to make harsh choices: to be bitten or to die of suffocation. In such a rubberized suit in the heat, people simply could not stand their hearts.

They even tried to burn out the island, which was hampered by periodic precipitation. After unsuccessful attempts to recapture the island from the snakes, ownership of it returned to the state again. A lighthouse was built on the partially liberated territory, which, however, does not mean that you can find a refuge here, but warns that it is unsafe for human health to look here, which does not stop curious tourists who want to look at the snake-infested area at least from afar Island.

HOW TO EARN ON GUESTS

By denying access to the most dangerous island on the planet, the Brazilian authorities still make money on it. Keimada Grande is extremely popular with tourists. Of course, they are not allowed on the island itself, but the guides take tourists by boat to a safe, as close as possible distance from the rocky shore. Travelers with delight and horror contemplate the snakes that cover the coastal stones, swarming and basking in the sun.

How many beautiful quiet, flowering corners on the world map, created by nature in the image and likeness of paradise tabernacles, seemingly ideal for holidays and resort, but nevertheless, were not included in the travel guide? There are plenty of similar places. However, there are other islands in approximately the same heavenly latitudes, which are forbidden to visit, and the ban on visiting which is prescribed rather to protect people from nature than nature from the vandal-tourist nasty around him.

Mother-in-law island

An example of such a tourist ignore is a small but pretty island in the Atlantic Ocean, not far from Brazil, where, as we know, there are many wild monkeys in the forests. The island, which rises two hundred meters from the water, has an area of \u200b\u200bless than a square kilometer, the hospitable climate and empty beaches are encouraging, and in the waters you can successfully go fishing or entertain yourself with diving. But to step on the alluring sand is deadly: the real world fame of the island of Keimada - Grundy was brought by its scaly inhabitants - a great number of poisonous snakes, of which there are five for every square meter. And even if you did not immediately manage to step on a couple of them, believe me, getting a deadly bite is the prospect of the next twenty minutes. Especially if you are not here accompanied by a serpentologist guide.

A resort for strong-minded men

"Well, okay! I didn't really want to "- you say -" And who needs to wander through the thickets full of vipers? " Oh, there are more than enough people willing! Despite the government ban on visiting the territory, many daredevils spend significant sums in order to be able to tickle their nerves, test their strength and their survival skills in the wild aggressive nature. The result of the challenge is hospitalization of up to hundreds of people a year with a diagnosis of snake venom intoxication. However, such fame only makes the island more tempting, and now new dollars are being passed on by the next adventurers to their fifth points to the mainland guides through the dangerous jungle. In return for the money, the daredevil receives a set of protective equipment, consisting of high boots and tight pants. A jacket made of special fabric is also quite capable of protecting your hands from the danger of being damaged by poisonous glands, but it is hardly comfortable in it in the heat of equatorial latitudes.

And the danger of overheating the body in protective equipment is very real. Blissful coolness comes in the evening, after sunset. And then you can try to enjoy the pleasant sea breeze and feel the resort bliss. But you shouldn't relax - hundreds of hospitable snakes will begin to creep into the warmth of your fire, probably in order to listen to tourist tales before bed! Snake meat is certainly useful for dinner, but you are unlikely to overcome such a generous offer from the local fauna.

The viper of all vipers

The most common snakes on this tiny piece of land are the vipers of the pithead subfamily, the so-called island botrops. The flexible, muscular body of the snake reaches a length of just under a meter, and the color allows it to blend perfectly with the foliage and tree trunks. Predators feed mainly on birds and insects, although they often do not disdain their relatives. The snake does not covet a person, but it is extremely jealous of the invasion of its territory, so attacks on tourists are not rare. The toxicology of the poison of this island viper has the peculiarity of causing tissue necrosis, which greatly increases the risk of amputation of the affected limb, and in some cases, provides the victim with a lethal outcome.

The island is home to a serpentologist who studies the snake population in this closed biome. In particular, scientists are interested in the biological reorientation of the gender characteristics of reptiles in conditions of limited species on the island. Because of this geographic feature, bisexual snakes turn into hermaphrodites, artificially adjusting the ratio of males to females to maintain their population at the proper level.

Of the man-made sights of the island, only a lonely lighthouse can be noted, whitening in the sun during the day and launching its lantern at night. The lighthouse operates in automatic mode, occasionally adjusting its functionality by commands from the mainland, 35 kilometers from the island. The Brazilian military department repairs and maintains this simple design.

In cramped quarters and resentment

There are practically no animals on the island, except for its undivided owners - snakes. The vipers, who have bred here innumerable, have to use every opportunity to feast on the birds flying to the island, who want to establish their nest here. It is completely unrealistic to do this with a population of reptiles exceeding five thousand individuals - if the bird is not eaten when landing on some branch of a tree, then they will certainly enjoy the eggs laid!

The only obvious benefit for the island from such an excessive serpentine presence is the almost complete absence of all kinds of rodents, which the scaly beasts all ate a long time ago and now observe the regular migration of island birds with undisguised interest. Fortunately, the number of the latter is successfully maintained at the level of rich fish stocks in the local waters.

The island of Keimada Grande, or, as it is also called, "Snake Island" appeared on our planet as a result of the detachment of a large part of the soil from the coast of Brazil. This event took place 11 thousand years ago. This place is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, has amazing landscapes and other advantages for the development of the tourism business, however, it was not destined to become a paradise for true connoisseurs of exotic holidays.

The danger of the island of Keimada Grande

As you may have guessed, the danger for visitors is the animal that lives here, namely the American spearhead snake (Bottrops), which is one of the most venomous on our planet. Her bite leads to paralysis of the body, it begins to rot, as a result of which the victim experiences unbearable pain. The result is almost always the same - death. Taking a photo against the background of such a creature is very dangerous.

Why is the island considered the most dangerous in the world? After all, there are many places with poisonous creatures. The answer lies in their number - there are more than 5000 of them. All snakes hunt daily, destroying various types of animals. Often, small beetles and lizards, which they wait in the trees, become their victims. The birds living on the island are a special delicacy for the Bottrops: after being bitten, the bird is paralyzed, so the chances of survival are zero.

In addition, snakes track the location of nests and destroy chicks. There is never enough food for so many reptiles on the island, as a result of which their venom has become more poisonous. You can rarely see snakes near the water, they spend all the time in the forest.

Where did snakes come from on the island?

There is a legend according to which pirates hid their wealth here. So that they could not be found, it was decided to populate the island with Bottrops. Their number was constantly increasing, and now these animals have become full-fledged masters of the island. Many tried to find the treasure, but the search ended either without results, or the seekers died from bites.

There are known stories that give goosebumps. There is a lighthouse on the island to warn tourists about the danger. Now it works automatically, but once it was done by the caretaker manually, who lives here with his wife and children. One night snakes made their way into the house, in fear the residents ran out into the street, but they were bitten by reptiles hanging from the trees.

One day, an angler discovered an island on the horizon and decided to taste various fruits and soak up the sun. He could not do this: after he went down to the island, snakes bit the poor fellow and he barely managed to reach the boat, where he died in agony. The body was found in the boat, and there was blood everywhere.

Rich people tried to drive the snakes from the island to make a plantation on it for growing bananas. It was planned to set the forest on fire, but it was not possible to implement the plan, since the workers were constantly attacked by reptiles. There was another attempt: the workers put on rubber suits, but the intense heat did not allow them to be in such protective equipment, as people were simply suffocating. Thus, the victory remained with the animals.