Scientists Want You To Eat More Pythons. Here's Why

Eating meat-heavy diets is considered bad for environment. According to a few studies, production of just 100 grams of protein from beef is responsible for the release of 49.89 kilograms of carbon dioxide. But a new research has examined the feasibility of farming pythons on commercial scale and its environmental cost compared to conventional livestock. The international team of researchers have said in the study that python meat could offer a form of meat much less carbon intensive than the current options.

The research is based on the study of two species of pythons - reticulated and Burmese - for 12 months in a farm in Southeast Asia.

"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," Dr Daniel Natusch, a reptile expert, told The Guardian.

Dr Natusch, the chair of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Snake Specialist Group, said pythons have other advantages.

"These pythons can live for almost a month with no water. They can live off the water that sets on their scales in the morning. They can go for almost a year without eating," he said.

The researchers also said that these reptiles produce fewer greenhouse gases, are more resilient to extreme climatic conditions and don't transmit diseases like bird flu or Covid-19.

The study has been published in Scientific Reports.

"These animals are extremely good converters of food and particularly protein. Literally, they are specialists and making the most of very little," Patrick Aust, a conservation specialist at non-profit People for Wildlife and co-author of the paper, told ABC News.

During the year-long study, these pythons were fed on a weekly basis a variety of locally sourced rodents and fishmeal, and were regularly measured and weighed, according to the study. The authors found that both species of python grew rapidly - by up to 46 grams per day - with females seeing higher growth rates than males.

Mr Aust said it could be a viable option in southern Africa, particularly where a severe drought is killing off livestock.