Snakes could be the food of the future
Researchers argue that snakes should be farmed for food as they are cheaper and easier to rear than chickens or cows.
Pythons could soon be on your plate.
Researchers argue that snakes should be farmed for food as they are easier and more cost-effective to rear than chickens and cows.
The reptile's cold blood means that they require less energy and only need the weekly snack of a dead rat, whereas a cow eats around 2.5kg of food per day.
Analysis of python farms in Vietnam discovered that they were eight times more efficient than warm-blooded animals at converting feed to meat and also produced fewer greenhouse gases that harm the environment.
Dr. Daniel Natusch, from Macquarie University in Sydney, said: "This is an alternative livestock system that needs to be taken seriously.
"We're not necessarily saying everyone should stop eating beef and turn to pythons, but there needs to be a conversation about them having a more prominent place in the agricultural mix."
