Some scientists regularly claim that meat consumption is harmful to our planet due to the emissions that come from raising farm animals. At the same time, as many recent studies show, complete abstinence from meat is harmful to health. Plant foods cannot provide a person with all the necessary nutrients. Plant protein, for example, is much less digestible in the human body than animal protein. Therefore, in order not to harm the planet and provide people with all the necessary nutrients, scientists have proposed an alternative – python meat. These snakes are not only surprisingly environmentally friendly, but also useful, and most importantly, their cultivation requires a minimum amount of resources.
Pythons are more environmentally friendly and more profitable than traditional farm animals
Snake farms — ; how pythons are raised
Since it is not advisable for people to completely give up meat, scientists have long been looking for an alternative to it. Many see it in insects, which have proven to be very useful. But staff from Macquarie University and Oxford University decided to focus their attention on snakes. To study aspects of this unusual form of agriculture, they observed 4,600 pythons raised on two farms in Southeast Asia. One of them is in central Thailand, and the other is in southern Vietnam.
According to the study authors, pythons are kept in giant open-top terrariums. They are provided with the necessary ventilation and a comfortable temperature that matches their natural habitat. The snakes' diet mainly includes rodents caught in the wild, as well as protein waste from agricultural supply chains. On one of the farms they even make “sausages” from recycled protein waste.
An important advantage of pythons is that they eat only once a week, and their weight increases by 46 grams per day. For example, Burmese pythons gain 1 gram of pure meat for every 4.1 grams of food consumed. This means they grow much more efficiently than other livestock such as pigs and cows.
Burmese pythons are real giants
Unlike other animals, pythons can go without eating for a long time. The study said that some of the Burmese pythons they observed fasted for 20 to 127 days but lost very little weight. Therefore, they are excellent for breeding in countries that periodically suffer from food shortages. The authors of the work report this in the journal Scientific Reports.
Snakes also consume water in very limited quantities. Even the dew that accumulates on their scales in the morning is enough for them. Another important point is that pythons grow quickly. They reach maturity within three years. In addition, they are prolific – every year one python produces 100 eggs and is able to lay eggs for two decades.
What does python meat taste like and what are its benefits
Surely many people are most interested in what python meat tastes like. Researchers say it resembles chicken. True, scientists always say this, so it is hardly possible to get an idea about snake meat without trying it. In addition, the study does not describe taste in detail. But the most important thing is that this meat product contains a large amount of protein, but at the same time has a low content of saturated fat.
Python meat tastes like chicken
True, scientists themselves believe that in the near future, python breeding will not become widespread in America, Europe or, for example, Australia. Currently, these snakes are raised for food only in Asia. In other parts of the world, people are afraid of snakes. However, the situation may change in the future.
Python breeding may be especially popular in some countries with low living standards, where the population suffers from protein deficiency. However, before raising snakes on an industrial scale, several problems will have to be solved. One of them is feeding, which is quite labor-intensive. In addition, they do not yet produce equipment for python farms. Nevertheless, according to the authors of the work, the idea deserves attention.
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Finally, let us remind you that not all scientists agree that raising animals is the most harmful type of agriculture for the planet. Some studies have shown that cows contribute much less to global warming than soybeans and corn. In addition, the cultivation of these plants negatively affects flora and fauna.