We know snakes aren’t exactly everyone’s favorite animal, but what if they were the key to feeding the world? Yes, that’s right. Pythons meat is way better at turning food into body mass than your average cattle or chicken. “They outperform all the usual farm animals we’ve looked at,” says Dr. Daniel Natusch, the daring scientist behind the study. Think about it: these slithery creatures can survive for months without eating and don’t waste energy staying warm as compared to other livestock.
If you did not know, Python farming is an established industry in certain Asian regions like Thailand and Vietnam. Farmers raise species such as reticulated pythons and Burmese pythons for their meat. Low waste: Workers at a python farm – snakes are farmed for their meat, skins, fat, and bile. Credits: Dan NatuschCo-author Professor Rick Shine says pythons are cold-blooded creatures, and that means big savings.