Just like people around the world are familiar with pig, chicken and cattle farming, some researchers want python farms on a commercial scale to be promoted in years to come. Reason - snake meat could provide a carbon-free and sustainable alternative protein source to humanity.
In a recently published research paper, it is argued that the commercial farming of pythons, the large non-venomous snake species, could offer an alternative to populations facing food security and climate change-related challenges. They want farmers to let Burmese pythons, reticulated pythons and southern African rock pythons lay and hatch eggs at farms so that the snake meat industry could flourish. Also, just like any other meat, hunting and consuming pythons living in the wild is not part of the plan.
Burmese and reticulated pythons grow fast within a year and can go sans food for long periods. They demand very little water for survival, further bringing down the investment needed, the paper reportedly published on the journal 'Scientific Reports' pointed out.
Python meat tastes more or less like chicken "but a little more gamy," Daniel Natusch, a herpetologist and biodiversity expert who was involved in the research was quoted as saying by multiple news portals.
Eating snake meat also brings down the point of food wastage, the expert said. Since snakes don’t have limbs, there is very little for a butcher to throw away, he pointed out. "And it is remarkably easy to fillet: “You just bring your knife along that backstrap and you get a four-meter-long piece of meat," The Washington Post quoted him as saying.
Consumption of reptiles including snakes is prevalent in China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, and some parts of Africa. However, the idea of pythons becoming a staple across the globe seems a little far-fetched as things stand.
