Ilha da Queimada Grande
| Nickname: Snake Island | |
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Aerial view of Ilha da Queimada Grande
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 Ilha da Queimada Grande
Location of Ilha da Queimada Grande in Brazil
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| Geography | |
| Location | Atlantic Ocean |
| Coordinates | 24°29′S 46°41′W / 24.483°S 46.683°WCoordinates: 24°29′S 46°41′W / 24.483°S 46.683°W |
| Area | 430,000 m2 (4,600,000 sq ft) |
| Highest elevation | 206 m (676 ft) |
| Administration | |
| State | State of São Paulo |
| Municipality | Itanhaém |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 |
| Additional information | |
| Administered by Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) | |
Ilha da Queimada Grande, also known as Snake Island, is an island off the coast of Brazil in the Atlantic Ocean. It is administered as part of the municipality of Itanhaém in the State of São Paulo. The island is small in size and has many different types of terrain, ranging from bare rock to rainforest. The island has a temperate climate. The island is the only home of the critically endangered, venomous Bothrops insularis (golden lancehead pit viper), which has a diet of birds. The snakes became trapped on the island when rising sea levels covered up the land that connected it to the mainland. This left the snakes to adapt to their environment, increase rapidly in population and render the island dangerous to public visitation. Queimada Grande is closed to the public in order to protect this snake population; access is only available to the Brazilian Navy and selected researchers vetted by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation, the Brazilian federal conservation unit.
Located approximately 33 kilometres (21 mi) off the coast of the state of São Paulo, Brazil, the island is approximately 430,000 square metres (110 acres) in area. The island ranges in elevation from sea level to 206 metres (676 ft) above sea level. The island has a temperate climate that is similar to its neighbouring island Nimer. .25 square kilometres (0.097 sq mi) of the island is covered by rain forest; the remaining areas consist of barren rocks and open grassland. Queimada Grande ranges from an average of 18.38 °C (65.08 °F) in August to 27.28 °C (81.10 °F) in March, and rainfall ranges from 0.2 millimetres (0.0079 in) per month in July to 135.2 millimetres (5.32 in) in December
Ilha da Queimada Grande has a variety of vegetation. The island is partly covered in rainforest and partly bare rock and grassy cleared areas, a result of deforestation. The deforestation is the origin of the island's name: the term “Queimada”, in Portuguese, means to slash and burn because when locals attempted to clear land for a banana plantation on the island, they had to clear rainforest using this technique. A lighthouse was constructed in 1909 to steer ships away from the island, operated by a single family. The family was found dead in the 1920s, having died from attacks by golden lanceheads that had entered the residence. The lighthouse is now automated. Due to the number of snakes and toxicity of their venom, the Brazilian Navy took action and closed the island to the public.
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