Things That Matter

There is an Island in Brazil That is Completely Inhabited By Poisonous Snakes

By October 29, 2015 at 7:01 pm

Ilha da Queimada Grande is a small Brazilian island with a terrible reputation. Have people died there? Sure. Was it painful? You better believe it. But what is it exactly that has people running from this paradise on Earth?

Bem-vindo ao Ilha da Queimada Grande.

A ilha….#ilhadaqueimadagrande #themostdangerousislandintheworld #jararacailhoa

A video posted by Brunno Frejat Zacchi (@brunnofrejat) on

This small island off the coast of Sao Paulo also has a deadly reputation.

Ilha da Queimada Grande juga digelar Pulau Ular berkeluasan 430,000 meter persegi di luar pantai São Paulo, Brazil. Pulau ini adalah habitat kepada pelbagai spesies ular seperti Bothrops dan Golden Lancehead Viper. Menurut rancangan dokumentari Discovery Channel mendakwa terdapat sebanyak satu ular bagi satu meter persegi, manakala legenda tempatan Brazil pula mendakwa terdapat lima ekor ular setiap meter persegi. Pada masa ini, Tentera Laut Brazil melarang orang awam ke pulau itu, walaupun kadang-kadang saintis mendapat pengecualian. Ade saintis tak kat sini? Jom!!! #atokdean #matiitubenar #malaysianig #igers #igersmalaysia #igersmalaya #igersmy #ikutcarakita #lokalah #travel #holiday #vacation #brazil #saopaulo #island #snakeisland #IlhadaQueimadaGrande

A photo posted by FAKTA ATOK DEAN (@atokdean) on

The island is infested with an extremely poisonous snake: the golden lancehead viper.

#JararacaIlhoa #InstitutoButantan #SãoPaulo #SP #BothropsInsularis

A photo posted by Schii Schmitz (@schiischmitz) on

How poisonous? Its venom can kill a bird instantly. Oh, and it will also MELT human flesh.

peele-sweating

It’s cousin, the lancehead viper, lives on mainland Brazil and is responsible for 90 percent of snake bite-related deaths in the country.

Jararaca
Credit: Wikimedia

That number does not include the golden lancehead viper because they’re all chillin’ on that island.

And there’s thousands of them. The Brazilian navy has banned access to the island due to the number of snakes.

But that doesn’t mean people don’t go to the island. In fact, some people have to. A few brave souls do maintenance on a lighthouse.

Screen Shot 2015-10-29 at 3.41.58 PM
Credit: Vice / YouTube

Yeah. There’s a damn lighthouse on an island deemed unsafe for humans.

Even though the lighthouse is now automated, things break down and need fixing.

Brave Souls
Credit: Vice / YouTube

And these brave, brave men make the journey through the island to make sure the lighthouse keeps working. #madrespect

Something tells me not a lot of people sign up for that job.

tumblr_n6j6pqHO3i1tbs5xro2_250
Credit: Orphan Black / Temple Street Productions / helenaneedsahug / Tumblr

Who in their right mind would?

READ: Something Washed Up on the Shore in Paraguay and People are Screaming “Chupacabra”

So how did the snake take over an island? Simple.

Screen Shot 2015-10-29 at 4.29.19 PM
Credit: NatGeoWild / YouTube

Experts believe that thousands of years ago, water levels rose high enough to create the island of Ilha da Queimada Grande, which isolated the snakes from the rest of Brazil. The snakes were then forced to evolve differently from the snakes on the mainland. With no prey available on land, the snakes slither up trees and kill migrating birds that stop on the island.

There are no other predators or competition on the island, so the snakes have the island all to themselves.

Snake
Credit: Vice / YouTube

Do your thing, dude. No one is here to bother you.

Is this the first time you have heard about Snake Island? Share the story with your friends so they can all see just how crazy nature can be.

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Mexican Couple Hailed As Heroes For Saving 10 Dogs From Flooding Caused By Hurricane Hanna

Culture

Mexican Couple Hailed As Heroes For Saving 10 Dogs From Flooding Caused By Hurricane Hanna

By August 4, 2020 at 5:42 pm
BY  | August 4, 2020 AT 5:42 pm
Betty Vaquera Escandón / Facebook

Hurricane Hanna slammed into Texas and Mexico on July 26 as a Category 1 hurricane. Yet, the most resilient story to come from Mexico is that of a couple who rescued some sweet puppies. Their ingenuity is something that will make every Mexican proud.

This is one of the most touching moments from Hurrican Hanna.

Mis papás perdieron todo… pero lograron sacar sus bebés 😭

Posted by Betty Vaquera Escandón on Sunday, July 26, 2020

That’s right. Those sweet puppies owe it all to the loving couple who took them into their bucket and rescued them. We have seen so many heartbreaking images over the years of animals abandoned to die when places flood during hurricanes.

The videos, posted by the couple’s daughter, is being accepted with so much love and excitement.

This is a fact. These people are some of the most compassionate people by saving these puppies. Who wouldn’t want to take the time to make sure that their furbabies are okay?

She posted a follow up live video when the flooding subsided to show just how damaging it was.

Posted by Betty Vaquera Escandón on Monday, July 27, 2020

The storm dropped 18 inches of rain on southern Texas and northern Mexico. The video shows damage throughout the couple’s home and the daughter was there to document it all for them. It is clear from the level of the water that there was nothing else that could have bee done to protect these little puppies.

They did another follow up just to thank everyone.

Posted by Betty Vaquera Escandón on Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Just like any good Latino couple, they thanked everyone who has reached out to them. It is truly such a sweet and wonderful story. We will forever keep this couple in our hearts because of everything they did.

Tbh, it would be so hard not to protect these angels.

Mi antidepresivo 🐶🐶🥰💕 #Elmilaneso

Posted by Betty Vaquera Escandón on Friday, July 10, 2020

We can only hope to be as selfless and important as this couple.

READ: Hurricane Hanna Battered Texas But Did It Actually Knock Over Part Of Trump’s Border Wall?

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MexicohurricaneanimalsDogsHurricane Hanna

People Have A Lot Of Opinions About The Argentina Episode Of Netflix’s ‘Street Food: Latin America’

Culture

People Have A Lot Of Opinions About The Argentina Episode Of Netflix’s ‘Street Food: Latin America’

By July 28, 2020 at 12:17 pm
BY  | July 28, 2020 AT 12:17 pm
Manuel Velasquez / Getty Images

Netflix has a new food show out and it has everyone buzzing. “Street Food: Latin America” is bringing everyone the sabor of Latin America to their living room. However, reviews are mixed because of Argentina and the lack of Central American representation.

Netflix has a new show and it is all about Latin American street food.

Some of the best food in the world comes from Latin America. That is just a fact and it isn’t because our families and community come for Latin America. Okay, maybe just a little. The food of Latin America comes with history and stories that have shaped our childhood. For many of us, it is the only thing we have that connects us to the lands our families have left.

The show is highlighting the contributions of women to street food.

“Street Food: Latin America” focuses mainly on the women that are leading the street food cultures in different countries in Latin America. For some of them, it was a chance to bring themselves out of poverty and care for their children. For others, it was a rebellion against the male-dominated culture of cooking in Latin America.

However, some people have some strong opinions about the show and they aren’t good.

There is a lot of attention to native communities in the Latino community culturally right now. The Argentina episode where someone claims that Argentina is more European is rubbing people the wrong way right now. While the native population of Argentina is small, it is still important to highlight and honor native communities who are indigenous to the lands.

The disregard for the indigenous community is upsetting because indigenous Argentinians are fighting for their lives and land.

An A Jazeera report focused on an indigenous community in northern Argentina who were fighting to protect their land. After decades of discrimination and humiliation, members of the Wichi community fought to protect their land from the Argentinian government grabbing it in 2017. Early this year, before Covid, children of the tribe started to die at alarming rates of malnutrition.

Another pain point in the Latino community is the complete disregard of Central America.

Central America includes Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Belize, and Panama. Central America’s exclusion is not sitting right with Netflix users with Central American heritage. Like, how can five whole countries be looked over during a Netflix show about street food in Latin America?

Seems like there is a chance for Netflix to revisit Latin America for more food content.

There are so many countries in Latin America that offer delicious foods to the world. There is more to Latin America than Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, Colombia, and Bolivia.

READ: This Iconic Mexican Food Won The Twitter Battle To Be Named Latin America’s Best Street Food

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BoliviaLatin Americastreet foodArgentinacolombiaBrazilfoodNetflixMexico