Scientists believe that breeding snakes for meat is not only a new, but also an optimal way to obtain nutritious protein, as close as possible to chicken, since snakes require less water and other resources for reproduction. Additionally, snake meat contains minimal amounts of saturated fat.
Researchers believe that by breeding not only snakes but also pythons, we can begin the path to reducing anthropogenic methane emissions and reducing the human impact on the environment. Scientists decided on pythons because these snakes gain mass of up to 42.6 grams per day. As noted, for every gram of weight gain, a python needs approximately 4.1 grams of food; this is less than traditional farm animals and even insects.
Experts discovered this when they studied the growth of reticulated and black tiger (Burmese) pythons over the course of a year in two nurseries in central Thailand and southern Vietnam. The reptiles were fed every 5-7 days wild rodents, day-old chicks, as well as protein waste from local pork, chicken and fish production. This is another “plus” in the treasury of breeding pythons as meat “animals”, because they can feed on food waste.
Raising snakes for food has long been a tradition in Southeast Asia, but it is not systematic, scientists say. According to experts, in order to combat global warming and obtain protein in case society abandons classical animal husbandry, residents of tropical countries need to master the almost industrial breeding of pythons for meat purposes. So insects are no longer a particular priority.
Source: Ferra
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