Ilha da Queimada Grande
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, 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, 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.
Geography
Located approximately off the coast of the state of São Paulo, Brazil, the island of Queimada Grande is approximately in area and ranges in elevation from 0 to above sea level. It has a temperate climate that is similar to that of its neighbouring island Nimer. Rainforest covers of the island, with the remaining area consisting of barren rocks and open grassland. Queimada Grande ranges from an average of in August to in March, and rainfall ranges from per month in July to in December.History
Ilha da Queimada Grande partly consists of barren rock, a result of deforestation, which is the origin of the island's name: the term queimada is Portuguese for "forest fire", due to historical attempts by locals to clear land for a banana plantation by burning. A lighthouse was constructed in 1909 to steer ships away from the island, and the last human inhabitants left when the lighthouse was automated in the 1920s.The island and the Ilha Queimada Pequena to the west are protected by the Ilhas Queimada Pequena e Queimada Grande Area of Relevant Ecological Interest, created in 1985. The Brazilian Navy has closed the island to the public to protect human and snake life. The only people allowed on the island are research teams who receive waivers to collect data.