If you thought snakes only lived deep in forests or deserts, think again. There is a volcanic island off the coast of Baja California, full of millions of venomous rattlesnakes. This place is called Tortuga island and it is a protected natural reserve. In this article, we’ll explore how this isolated island formed, why it is crawling with snakes, and what makes the Crotalus tortugensis species so unique. Ready to discover one of the wildest corners of Mexico? Let’s get started!
Tortuga Island
Can you imagine a place full of snakes? Not one or a hundred, but millions! There’s a real place like that, and it is called Tortuga Island. This place was formed when a volcano came out of the sea floor a short time ago (in geological terms). Over time, the volcano created the island we can now see. From above, because of the shape of its crater, it looks like a giant turtle, which is why it’s called “Tortuga Island.”
A home to millions of snakes
A special kind of rattlesnake lives on this volcanic island, and it only exists there. It can’t be found anywhere else in the world. It’s so common on this place that scientists say Tortuga Island is the biggest rattlesnake nest in the world.
It is estimated that there is one snake every 11 square feet. To understand this better, let’s give an example: in the space of a typical bedroom in the United States, there could be about 12 snakes.
The volcanic island is more than 11 square kilometers in size, so scientists think there may be over 11 million snakes in total. That’s a lot of snakes!
What is this snake like?
This snake is called the Tortuga Island rattlesnake, and it has some differences compared to other rattlesnakes that live on the mainland:
- It’s smaller than its mainland relatives. This happens with many species that live on islands, and it’s called island dwarfism.
- It usually grows up to 1 meter, but the largest one ever found measured 1.06 meters.
- Its color is gray or grayish brown, and sometimes it has a pink or purple tone.
- It has diamond or hexagon-shaped spots on its back, like other rattlesnakes.
Even though it is venomous, there are no known attacks on people, because no one lives there permanently. Only scientists or visitors with a permit go there.
How did this snake get there?
It’s not known for sure, but scientists think it swam from the mainland a long time ago. It is a mystery how a snake could swim more than 40 kilometers, but there’s the theory that it might have gone there during a time when the sea was lower, or during some special event. Once it got there, it started to reproduce and adapt to life on the volcanic island.
Can you visit this place?
Yes, but it is not easy. Since it is a protected area by the Mexican government you need a special permit to enter. There are no hotels or houses there, only scientists, park rangers, and a few adventurous people with permission go there.
You have to be very careful when visiting this place, take this example as evidence: a few years ago, three marine biologists were stranded on the island for three days, because the boatman who took them there didn’t come back. Luckily, the navy found them and brought them home safely, without any snake bites. Even though this place is full of millions of snakes, I am sure there are many people who would like to visit it. Are you one of those?