Photo by João Marcos Rosa, available on Instituto Chico Mendes
Well, 'dreamer' Mythili, I've been very pleased to read your report about 'Queimada Grande', or Snakes' Island, among other reasons because the "most dangerous place on Earth" stays 'near'to my beach house on the Itanhaém town. (Take it easy the Golden Lancehead is asbsolutely unable to swim). No, it is not 90 Km away from the coast, but just 32Km separate it from the town of Itanhaém, where I have decided to spend my quarentene time, leaving my apartment in São Paulo City to return when a vaccine might come to free mankind!
The mentioned 90Km seems to be the distance from that island to Santos, the main São Paulo state harbor.
I first heard about that so enigmatic island as a little child, when my father told me something about the death of a whole nissei family, lighthouse carer, who was decimated by a huge number of jararacas-ilhoas (island's lacehead in Portuguese). Be sure, a terrrifying but fascinating report, which drew my attention a lot, getting imprinted deep in my memory.As for any explanations about such a peculiar place, I had never heard something so hilarious as these supposed pirates' who would have brought thousands of a so letal snakes as guardians to their buried treasures. Despite their bravery which the constant attacks to Spanish and Portuguese ships proved, pirates would never have been enough quick, nor deeply stupid to the point of trying to catch so letal reptiles.
Among scholars, the most accepted hypothesis about 'Ilha das Cobras' peculiarity refers to last glacial era's ending, some 12,000 years ago, as you mention. Curiously, it may be pointed out that the quick sea level rise resulting from that huge amount of melted ice seems to many archeologists to berelated to the many ancient civilizations' reports about sudden huge all over the world floodings, among them the Exodus deluge.
As for the pharmacological uses of the Golden Lancehead venom, I ask your permission for an important correction. It is not true that Bothrops insularis's venom is now used by pharmaceutical industry. Such is the case of Bothrops jararaca's venom, a species very similar to it, living however in mainland Brazil, from which the island species has diverged, by that geographical isolation 12,000 years ago. Bothrops jararaca's venom has potent vasodilator properties, largely used to control hypertension.
Scholars especulate someday Insularis' venom will be of some important pharmacological use, but that's only speculation yet. Thus, there is no big extiction threat for now, and my recent data about their number, 4,000 individuals, is considered stable since many decades.
As for the warning about Bothrps insularis being in extiction danger, for me is bound to the fragility of its habitat. A tropical paradise so near to the most important financial center in Latin America draws the attention of huge tourist enterpreneurs who, be sure, could smash all snakes away if they want! Just burn them all...
Smugglers, if there are any, must be no more than a few madman for now. Thanks God it is still TOO DANGEROUS!
Among scholars, the most accepted hypothesis about 'Ilha das Cobras' peculiarity refers to last glacial era's ending, some 12,000 years ago, as you mention. Curiously, it may be pointed out that the quick sea level rise resulting from that huge amount of melted ice seems to many archeologists to berelated to the many ancient civilizations' reports about sudden huge all over the world floodings, among them the Exodus deluge.
As for the pharmacological uses of the Golden Lancehead venom, I ask your permission for an important correction. It is not true that Bothrops insularis's venom is now used by pharmaceutical industry. Such is the case of Bothrops jararaca's venom, a species very similar to it, living however in mainland Brazil, from which the island species has diverged, by that geographical isolation 12,000 years ago. Bothrops jararaca's venom has potent vasodilator properties, largely used to control hypertension.
Scholars especulate someday Insularis' venom will be of some important pharmacological use, but that's only speculation yet. Thus, there is no big extiction threat for now, and my recent data about their number, 4,000 individuals, is considered stable since many decades.
As for the warning about Bothrps insularis being in extiction danger, for me is bound to the fragility of its habitat. A tropical paradise so near to the most important financial center in Latin America draws the attention of huge tourist enterpreneurs who, be sure, could smash all snakes away if they want! Just burn them all...
Smugglers, if there are any, must be no more than a few madman for now. Thanks God it is still TOO DANGEROUS!
*First posted as a comment to
'The Fascinating Story of a Forbidden Brazilian Island', by Mythili the dreamer, an author at medium.com, July 19, 2020.
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