Snake Island: the Brazilian rock known as the deadliest place on Earth

Forget kidnapping, mugging, police brutality, or the Zika virus. The most dangerous spot in Brazil is a tiny island due south of São Paulo. This place is so deadly that authorities do not allow anyone to set foot there without acquiring specific permits. We’re talking about Ilha de Queimada Grande, more commonly known as Snake Island.

As the name suggests, there are no mammals native to the island and the main residents are Golden Lancehead vipers, the meter-long serpent that is responsible for 90 percent of snake-related deaths in Brazil. The poison of these Lanceheads is five times stronger than that of other Lancehead Vipers on the continent.

Their only source of food is the birds that use the island as a rest stop. Experts believe that they evolved to have such strong venom as...