Pythons have a fast growth rate, a high food conversion rate, and significant edible value.
With the rapid growth of productivity and population size, food safety has become a global focus, and the agricultural sector has also posed challenges and needs for sustainable development. In light of this, scientists are often looking for new ways of production, efficient and sustainable alternatives.
In animal husbandry, meat produced by homeothermic animals such as cattle, pigs, and chickens is usually dominant. Some studies have found that cold-blooded animals (such as fish and insects) are more efficient at food conversion than livestock, and because of their short growth cycle and low environmental requirements, they are potential targets for sustainable development.
However, the edible value of cold-blooded animals is limited by historical habits and regional differences, and the huge potential contained in cold-blooded animals has attracted the attention of more and more scientists. Among them, a widely debated cold-blooded animal, the python, is in the spotlight, with some experts believing it has the potential to be a sustainable source of meat. So, how exactly should it find its place in the food chain?
1. Can pythons become a new sustainable source of meat?
At first glance, many people may feel disgusted, it is a "monster" in the minds of many people, and its fast growth and high food conversion rate are also somewhat shocking, which makes it regarded as a "terrible" food source. But in history and reality, there are many places where pythons are in the folk diet.
The commercial farming of pythons can meet the needs of people in different regions for meat at traditional festivals and feasts, and on the other hand, it can also be a sustainable source of meat to supplement the shortcomings of traditional agriculture. While many people see pythons as a "pest" that destroys agriculture, some experts believe that the animal's added value far outweighs the value of crop damage if it is effectively stocked and managed.
This idea is currently being studied by scientists at Macquarie University in Australia, who conducted an experiment to test the food conversion rate and growth rate of pythons in two different environments, Thailand and Vietnam. They selected two species of pythons (reticulated python and Burmese python, respectively) that are used in the two countries to provide special meat ingredients, and used local resources and traditional farming methods to breed them as part of animal husbandry.
The reticulated python mainly lives in swamps, bushes and swampy forests, it eats a variety of foods, and can prey on rodents, small birds, rabbits and even antelopes and other animals, while its "counterpart" Burmese python is an established feeding animal, it mainly feeds on birds, so the analysis of the two has been the focus of scientists' attention.
Over the course of the experiment, the scientists gave the pythons a variety of protein foods each week, including chicken, pork, wild rodents and mixed fishmeal, and recorded changes in the python's food intake, length and weight. By collating and analyzing this data, the scientists found that the two pythons had a very high food conversion rate, and they also grew very fast over a period of twelve months.
The reticulated python reached 2.5 meters in length and weighed 4.4 kilograms in 12 months, with a growth rate of 3.6 mm and 6.7 grams in length and weight, respectively, while for the petite Burmese python, its growth rate was not to be underestimated, with a length of 1 meter and a weight increase of 2.5 kilograms in 12 months, with a growth rate of 2.7 mm and 5.1 grams in length and weight, respectively.
Scientists made a corresponding food conversion rate chart based on the experimental results, and through the analysis of these data, they found that every 4.1 grams of food can be converted into 1 gram of snake meat, which far exceeds the existing cattle, sheep, chickens and even fish animals, which shows that the edible value of pythons is still very considerable.
In addition, in the choice of food, scientists have also found that different kinds of food will not have a large difference in the growth rate of pythons, and in the process of python breeding, they can also endure a period of hunger, this flexible diet state makes the python's ability to survive in harsh environments has been greatly improved.
During the 12-month breeding process, about 61% of the pythons fasted for 20 to 127 days, but their weight was almost not lost, and the experimental results showed that the pythons can be converted into fat in a short period of time through sufficient food, as a source of food, reducing the pressure of survival in extreme environments.
Scientists believe that pythons, as a low-cost and high-efficiency farmed animal, are expected to become a new choice for people to eat meat in the future, which can not only meet the growing needs of the global population, but also inject a shot in the arm for traditional animal husbandry, and enhance its economic and ecological value.
2. How to carry out python breeding?
Although the python has shown good promise in terms of food value as a potential livestock resource, there is still a lot of work to be done to transform it from wild capture to livestock farming. Among them, the most important thing is to find a safe, economical, and humane way to farm it to maximize its growth rate and food conversion rate.
In order to achieve this goal, scientists have put forward a number of suggestions, including optimizing the breeding environment, designing nutritionally balanced feed for pythons, controlling breeding density, improving breeding management and improving the technical level of related industrial chains. Through the continuous improvement and perfection of these methods, it is believed that the python breeding industry will gradually embark on the road of scale and industrialization.
In addition, while taking full advantage of the high food conversion rate of cold-blooded animals, scientists should also focus on improving traditional animal husbandry and improving the food conversion rate and breeding efficiency of livestock to achieve sustainable development. It is believed that in the near future, the cold-blooded animal python and traditional animal husbandry will work together to provide safer, more efficient and healthier food resources for human beings, and contribute to the realization of a sustainable food industry.
The python can not only meet the food needs of human beings, but also inject new vitality into traditional animal husbandry and provide new impetus for rural economic development. However, in order to fully exploit its advantages, we need to conduct further research and exploration to find the most suitable breeding method for pythons and build a healthy and safe livestock industry for them.
The author believes that through unremitting efforts in the future, pythons will become the new darling of people's tables, which can not only meet the growing demand for meat of human beings, but also bring new development opportunities for animal husbandry.
It will not only appear in traditional festivals and banquets, but also become a healthy, fresh and natural meat choice, and I believe that it will definitely bring new colors and experiences to the human table and become a part of people's healthy diet.