This volcanic island in the Gulf of California is the largest rattlesnake nest in the world

Rising out of the Gulf of California, roughly 25 miles off the coast of Baja California, sits Isla Tortuga, or Turtle Island. It was formed relatively recently when a volcano emerged from the sea floor eventually creating the island that is seen today.

It has been named a Natural World Heritage Site by UNESCO and is listed as a protected natural reserve by the Mexican government. The island is an important nesting site for birds and is crawling with a number of different reptiles, including a species of rattlesnake that bears the island’s name.

“The biggest rattlesnake nest in the world”

Isla Tortuga is home to the Turtle Island rattlesnake that are so common on the island that it has earned the title of ‘the biggest rattlesnake nest in the world’. It’s calculated that there is one of these rattlesnakes per every eleven square feet roughly.

For perspective, there would be around 12 of them in space that the average US bedroom occupies. Isla Tortuga, named after the shape of its shield volcano as seen from above, has around 4.4 square miles of surface area meaning a population of over 11 million snakes.

Turtle Island snake is unique to the island

This venomous species of the viper family is only found on this island but is a relative of the western diamondback. It’s unclear how this species of snake got to the island, but it’s believed that they covered the 25-mile distance some time in the past swimming.

The Turtle Island rattlesnake is smaller than its mainland cousins believed to be a result of dwarfing that occurs in island populations of animals. They typically grow to a maximum of approximately 39 inches, but the largest recorded specimen was 41.7 inches.

This species has grey or greyish brown scales which sometimes have a slight purple or pink hue. Like other diamondbacks, their background coloring is overlaid with a series of hexagonal or diamond-shaped blotches running down their back.

You can visit Isla Tortuga, but you’ll need a permit

Tourists looking for a little adventure, who want to visit the island to see the volcano caldera and perhaps a snake or two, must get a permit from the authorities first as it is a protected area. Just make sure that you have a guaranteed ride home.

A few years back, three marine biologists were stranded on the island for three days when the boatman they hired to take them to Isla Tortuga, failed to return for the arranged pick-up. Fortunately, after they were reported missing, the navy went to check on them finding them without any snake bites and brought them home.

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