Snake Island, Brazil
Marinha do Brasil/Flickr
Standing on Sao Paolo’s waterfront, you’ll see a small, forested island on the horizon, around 21 miles (33km) away. Ilha da Queimada Grande might look harmless, but its residents aren’t. The island is home to a population of around 3,000 snakes – Golden Lancehead pit vipers, to be precise. That could mean as many as five snakes per square metre lurk in the grass.
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Lancehead snakes (the Golden Lancehead's mainland cousin) are responsible for around 90% of all snakebites in Brazil, but although the venom can be deadly no deaths have been reported here: the Brazilian government bans anyone from setting foot on Ilha da Queimada Grande. This measure is also for the benefit of the snakes, which are part of a captive breeding programme on the mainland.