- Tips: The pictures of snakes in this article may cause some people to feel uncomfortable, so be careful!
- Tips: The pictures of snakes in this article may cause some people to feel uncomfortable, so be careful!
- Tips: The pictures of snakes in this article may cause some people to feel uncomfortable, so be careful!
There is an island with beautiful scenery and an area of only 0.43 square kilometers, but it is frightening. The local government expressly prohibits human beings from entering the island, otherwise the consequences will be at your own risk. Some scientists also claim that once you board the island, you will never be more than 1 meter away from death!
Grand Kaimada Island (Snake Island)
This island is called Grand Kaimada Island, located in Brazil, and the locals call it Snake Island. The island, named for the large number of venomous snakes, is one of the most dangerous areas in the world. One of the most famous is the golden spearhead pit viper, which is recognized as one of the most deadly venomous snakes in the world.
Golden Spearhead Pit Viper
On the land of less than one square kilometer, there are about 2000 to 4000 such poisonous snakes, which means that there are 1 to 5 poisonous snakes per square meter of land! Currently, only military personnel and professional researchers who have been approved by the government can enter the island, but they must bring professional medical staff to the island. As for those who got lost on the island, they have gone and never returned.
Human poison is "early emerging" - this golden spear-headed pit viper, which occupies the island area
, is very small. The longest one found so far is only 118 cm, and the average is only about 80 cm. It is highly venomous, and its venom contains neurotoxins, and the bitten prey quickly loses consciousness and becomes a delicacy for them.
Picture of prey
Scientists studying its venom analysis concluded that it is about five times more venomous than its close relative, the Brazilian spearhead pit viper, and that if a person is bitten it can cause nausea and vomiting, intestinal bleeding, kidney failure and severe muscle tissue damage Necrosis and other phenomena, if not treated in time, will be poisoned and die within an hour.
Venom Sampling Figure
Some people will be curious, how does this kind of snake dominate the island area? In the terrestrial forests, large carnivores dominate, so what's the difference in the island?
There are rumors that the snakes here are deliberately stocked by pirates to protect the plundered gold and silver, and finally breed more and more, but there is no scientific basis for this claim.
A more reliable statement is that about tens of millions of years ago, the crustal movement separated Snake Island from the Brazilian mainland, and the creatures on the island began to evolve themselves. The poster child for an independent terrestrial self-evolution like this is Australia. Many unique species have appeared in Australia, and there is a unique golden spearhead snake in the Great Kaimada Island, which is also in line with the general process of biological evolution.
Schematic diagram of plate movement
But unlike Australia, Snake Island is small and not suitable for the survival of other large animals. Therefore, after a period of natural selection, many large animals disappeared on Snake Island, leaving only some small animals. This snake is venomous and has almost no natural predators, and quickly developed on the island. Many small animals have become delicacies in their mouths, and thus the poisonous snakes have started the life of "island owners".
Poisoning Snakes and Fishermen
Poisoning the Islanders and Fishermen
The reason why Snake Island makes people feel terrifying and mysterious is because there are two legends circulating locally.According to legend, during 11 years from 1909 to 1920, a family lived on the Snake Island Lighthouse to remind people to stay away from Snake Island and avoid misfortune. During this period, countless boats and fishermen were reminded to avoid trouble, and the man's family seemed to have adapted to life on Snake Island, but misfortune still happened.
Location of the lighthouse
One night, the family was about to go to bed after dinner. Suddenly, a group of poisonous snakes entered the lighthouse from the window of the lighthouse. The host was bitten to protect his family, and the remaining family members also encountered poisonous snakes during the escape process. As a result, none of the family of five survived. After several months, they were nowhere to be found on the island. Since then, the terror of poisonous snakes on the island has spread among the people.
In view of this, the Brazilian government has built automated lighthouses on the island, which are regularly maintained by the military. But even then fishermen lost their lives because of disorientation. A Brazilian fisherman went fishing and lost his way. After floating on the sea for a few days, he finally saw a small island oasis, so he hurried to the shore. He thought he was saved, but he turned himself into a dead end.
After landing on the island, he hurriedly searched for food and fresh water. But just a few minutes later he struggled out and tried to row out of here. However, after he rowed a few times, he was poisoned in the boat. Folk legends like
have further shaped the terrifying image of Snake Island. The Brazilian government immediately took measures. In 1984, the island of Grand Caymada was listed as a natural reserve by Brazil and stipulated that individuals are not allowed to enter the island without permission, in order to avoid the recurrence of the tragedy.
Warning signs on Snake Island
Food Scramble - Increased Toxicity
After large creatures became extinct on the island, venomous snakes took over the island of Great Kaimada, and they proliferated rapidly.Many reptiles are almost extinct under the long-term predation of the golden spearhead pit viper. In order to survive, they have to evolve more lethal venoms.
The normal predation process of venomous snakes is generally to bite the prey first, and then wait for the prey to struggle to death, so that the snake gets a good meal. However, with the increasing scarcity of terrestrial creatures, such a method of predation is simply impossible to satisfy.
The scarcity of food on the ground forces the island's venomous snakes to turn their food targets to migratory birds in the sky. In the fall, Greater Kaimada welcomes migratory birds for the winter. This is a good time for the golden spearhead pit vipers to hunt, and they can start hibernation after a good meal.
Migrating birds land on the branches, and camouflaged golden spear-headed pit vipers wait for the opportunity. When the time is right, he launches a surprise attack and bites the bird in one bite, so that he can have a delicious meal for a while. But sometimes it is not so lucky. If it is just bitten, the bird is very likely to struggle and escape, so that although the bird will die, the bird is no longer its food. In this way, one-shot venom becomes essential for predation.
Snakes prey on migratory birds
After a long period of evolution, the poisonous snakes on the island have become stronger. If a person is bitten by it, chest tightness and dizziness will appear within a few minutes. Even if treatment is given immediately, the bite wound will still fester, which shows the fatal effect of the venom's toxicity.
Very poisonous can not only kill, but also save people.
In Brazil, more than 300,000 people are bitten by snakes every year, but 80% of them can be treated. After being processed through research, an anti-venom can be created based on the venom, which is crucial for people who are bitten. Antivenom is immune to the venom of venomous snakes and can save a life after being bitten by a snake.
In addition, the venom of the golden spearhead snake has good research value.Every year scientists from all over the world, accompanied by experts, travel to Grand Kemada to study this unique species. Some snakes on the island have been microchipped by professionals to mark their numbers and development.
The golden spearhead snake on the tree
Not only scientists are interested in the golden spearhead snake, but reporters are also very enthusiastic about it. In November 2017, Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhao Yan was led by the staff of the Butantan Snake Research Institute in Brazil to Da Kaimada Island and successfully caught a total of 7 golden spearhead snakes in two hours on the island. After taking measurements and sampling, let them go back to nature. Among the 7 snakes captured, only 1 was marked. The researchers told reporters that this shows that there are still many snakes in the Snake Island that have not been marked, and it has high research value.
Xinhua News Agency reporter's notes Screenshot
The Butantan Snake Research Institute in Brazil is an institution specializing in statistics and venom research on the number of venomous snakes.
It is worth noting that the golden spearhead snake has a golden appearance and is deeply loved by some collectors. In addition, some research institutions have begun to buy and sell the golden spearhead snake in order to study its medicinal value. Such demand has caused the price of the golden spearhead to soar directly at 70,000 to 200,000. Facing a lucrative business, many poachers stretch out their claws...
Picture of hunting and killing the golden spearheaded snake
Some people say that there is no restricted area for humans, only humans will turn an area into a biologically restricted area, and the poisonous snake will end up in the end Or being captured and exploited by humans.Driven by interests, human beings are unscrupulous. Many people only see the immediate interests. Excessive hunting of creatures will lead to ecological imbalances. In the end, it is human beings who suffer!
Maybe the Snake Island will cease to exist one day, and the golden spearhead snake will also disappear, but will such extinction fall on the heads of mankind one day?
