Butantan Snake Institute – São Paulo, Brazil - Atlas Obscura
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Butantan Snake Institute

São Paulo, Brazil

A snake farm famous for its venemous varieties. 

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Venomous snake. Luciano Marra/CC BY-2.0
The infamous and endangered golden lancehead viper endemic to "snake island" (Ilha da quiemada). The institute coordinates the in-situ and ex-situ conservation of the species. Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
A strikingly patterned viper Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
A close up of a boa constrictor on the move Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
A deadly brown spider , a common biting arachnid in Brazil (Including Sao Paulo city)and a common cause of wounds that require hospitalisation. Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
Viper lurking at the back of a vivarium Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
A racer snake exploring it's vivarium, native to Central America Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
An Amazonian boa constrictor sleeping Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
Preserved snake specimen showing egg sacks Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
A colourful rat snake at rest Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
A languid green anaconda lazing in its water pool Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
A well hidden and deadly little viper Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
View of the interior of the snake house Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
The iconic Serpentarium / snake house Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
Artifacts from the inception of the institution , snake shelters Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
Sign explaining history of institution Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
A formidable looking monocled cobra , a South East Asian species. This particular individual was rescued from the illegal pet trade and given a new home at the serpentarium. Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
A jararaca viper species hidden in foilage of a vivarium Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
A curious looking water dragon , a (non venemous) lizard native to East Asia Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
One of the information signs in Portuguese and English Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
Information sign for golden lance head viper Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
Live tarantula and shed skin displayed above Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
View of the outdoor jararaca enclosure Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
Mating neotropical rattlesnakes in one of the outdoor enclosures Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
Close up of a tongue flickering boa constrictor Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
A Mexican red knee tarantula Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
A cryptic looking pit viper Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
A cryptic looking pit viper Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
A pair of gigantic Indian pythons Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
A beautifully camouflaged jaraca snake Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
A bird eating spider (tarantula), native to Amazonia Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
A pair of cuddling Burmese pythons (one is an albino) Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
Close-up of a highly toxic cane toad , native to South America Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
A sleeping gila monster , a venemous lizard native to Mexico and the USA Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
A Brazilian black tarantula, a species native to the Cerrado grasslands. Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
A jararaca viper species native to Brazil /South America Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
Close-up of a sinister looking jararaca viper Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
Close up of a monocled cobra (native to South-East Asia) Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
A yellow morph of the neotropical rattlesnake at rest Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
A neotropical rattlesnake at the Butantan serpentarium Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
Instituto Butantan. Neighty (Natália Reis)/CC BY 2.0
Instituto Butantan. Mike Peel/CC BY-SA 4.0
Instituto Butantan. Mike Peel/CC BY-SA 4.0
A racer snake , native to Central America Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, Brazil. Mike Peel/CC BY-SA 4.0
The notorious golden lance head viper of "snake island". A critically endangered species. Monsieur Mictlan (Atlas Obscura User)
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The Instituto Butantan is located in a large outdoor park near the campus of the University of Sao Paulo, attracting more than 300,000 people annually, and is one of the main sights of the city of São Paulo.

Affiliated with the Ministry of Health of São Paulo, is one of the largest biomedical research centers in the world, accounting for more than 93% of serums and vaccines produced in Brazil, among them diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, seasonal influenza, H1N1 and most recently COVID-19.

The institute is world-renowned for its collection of venomous snakes, including its 407 varieties of pit viper, rattlesnake, elapids (cobras), mamba, and colubrid species as well as lizards (including venomous species such as the Gila monster), spiders, scorpions and amphibians such as poison dart frogs. Producing vaccines and sera for prophylactic and curative. Conducts scientific missions at home and abroad through the World Organization and Pan American Health Organization, Unicef, and the UN. Cooperates in fighting epidemic outbreaks with agencies of the Department of Health and Ministry of Health, National Institute of Health, U.S., Bill & Melinda Foundation, Bill Gates’ foundation dedicated to research and community action in health.

In addition to the serpentarium, which consists of terrariums and spacious outdoor concrete snake-filled enclosures, there is also a historical museum with information about the museum’s founder Dr. Vital Brasil, a biological museum, and a museum of microbiology.

Know Before You Go

Close to Butantã metro station (on the yellow line).


The deadly Jararaca pit vipers kept in the first of the three outdoor snake enclosures can be hard to see for much of the day. If you are keen to see them in all their sinister serpentine beauty check out the enclosure just before sunset when they begin to become much more lively. You won't be disappointed.


Be sure to see the famous golden lanceheads in the snake house as well as their less famous relative the Alcatraz viper (the institute is the only place in the world where this species can be seen outside of its natural habitat-the Alcatrazes Islands).

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