The last human inhabitants left the island when the lighthouse was automated. A lighthouse was constructed in 1909 to steer ships away from the island. The deforestation is the origin of the island's name: the term "Queimada" is Portuguese for “forest fire” – when locals attempted to clear land for a banana plantation on the island, they attempted to clear rain forest with fire. The island is partly covered in rainforest and partly bare rock and grassy cleared areas, a result of deforestation. Ilha da Queimada Grande has a variety of vegetation. Queimada Grande ranges from an average of 18.38 ☌ (65.08 ☏) in August to 27.28 ☌ (81.10 ☏) in March, and rainfall ranges from 0.2 millimetres (0.0079 in) per month in July to 135.2 millimetres (5.32 in) in December. 0.25 square kilometres (62 acres) of the island is covered by rain forest the remaining areas consist of barren rocks and open grassland. The island has a temperate climate that is similar to that of its neighbouring island Nimer. The island ranges in elevation from sea level to 206 metres (676 ft) above sea level. Located approximately 33 kilometres (21 mi) off the coast of the state of São Paulo, Brazil, the island is approximately 430,000 square metres (110 acres) in area. Queimada Grande is closed to the public in order to protect both people and the snake population access is available only to the Brazilian Navy and selected researchers vetted by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation, the Brazilian federal conservation unit. The ensuing evolutionary pressure allowed the snakes to adapt to their new environment, increasing rapidly in population and rendering the island dangerous to public visitation. The snakes became trapped on the island thousands of years ago following the end of the last ice age when rising ocean levels disconnected the island from the mainland. The island is the only natural home of the critically endangered, venomous Bothrops insularis (golden lancehead pit viper), which has a diet of birds. The island's terrain varies considerably, ranging from bare rock to rainforest. The island is small in size, only 43 hectares (106 acres), and has a temperate climate. It is administered as part of the municipality of Itanhaém in the State of São Paulo. Ilha da Queimada Grande, also known as Snake Island, is an island off the coast of Brazil in the Atlantic Ocean. Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio)
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