If I had to see this TikTok, then so do you.
Of all of the fears and phobias out there, snakes are probably my biggest.
Turns out, Snake Island is a real place that I will be having nightmares about for the rest of my life.
And to make matters worse, these aren’t just any old venomous snakes.
Snake Island is infested with an estimated 2,000 to 4,000 golden lancehead vipers, which are among the deadliest types of snake in the world, NBD.
Carl De Souza / AFP via Getty Images
So how did this Brazilian island become one of the most terrifying places on earth?
According to Smithsonian magazine, the snakes were trapped on the island about 11,000 years ago, due to rising sea levels after the last Ice Age.
Because there were no natural predators on the island, the snakes rapidly reproduced. The snakes also had no ground-level prey, which meant they would have to mark and hunt down birds, which caused their venom to evolve into an incredibly potent version that’s three to five times deadlier than the average snake’s venom.
In the early 1900s, a few Brazilian locals lived on the island. According to local lore, a family who was in charge of tending to the lighthouse were all killed when the snakes came through the windows of their home.
Both tourists and Brazilian locals are forbidden from visiting Ilha de Queimada Grande.
Nine Network / Via youtube.com
The island is so dangerous that the only people who have ever been permitted to visit are the Brazilian Navy, who stops by once a year to maintain the island’s lighthouse, and groups of biologists who study the snakes. Wildlife smugglers have been caught trying to sneak onto the island to trap the snakes to sell them. The average golden lancehead snake sells for somewhere between $10,000 and $30,000.
And in the instance of any legally sanctioned visit, a doctor has to be present at all times in case of any bites.
Do you know of any other terrifying places like Snake Island? Come chat about them in the comments!
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