What is the name of the island famous for its critically endangered golden lancehead snake?

Ilha da Queimada Grande is the Brazilian island famous for its critically endangered golden lancehead snake.

The island lies off the coast of São Paulo state and is the only natural home of Bothrops insularis, commonly called the golden lancehead. The snake became isolated when rising sea levels separated the island from mainland Brazil. Its venom and feeding ecology developed under this unusual island environment.

Golden lanceheads are arboreal pit vipers that eat birds and other small animals. Their population is restricted to the island, whose steep terrain and venomous wildlife have led Brazilian authorities to restrict access. The species is listed as critically endangered.

The island is sometimes sensationally called “Snake Island,” but that nickname should not be confused with Snake Island in the Black Sea. Ilha da Queimada Grande is a specific Brazilian location associated with one endemic viper.