What are your feelings on snakes as food? And do you differentiate between daily consumption and survival situations? In other words, is it ever okay to kill and eat a snake?
9 opinions on this subject.
Enter your opinion at the bottom of this page.
[Speak Out Home Page]
I am researching a documentary film about people who
own exotic (non domestic) animals. Specifically we are
exploring the emotional connection between exotics and
their owners. The research has been going well and I’m
meeting some amazingly passionate and fascinating
people and their exotics. I realize that this is a huge,
sometimes controversial topic and can be very
emotionally/politically charged. And no, as I am
frequently asked, I am not with PETA or some faction of
the government. I’m just a guy interested in learning more
about these often unique animals and the equally unique
people who own them. I’d love to find a great venomous
snake story. If you own a venomous snake because you
feel there’s no more rewarding experience in terms of a
human/animal relationship or experience, I’d love to talk
with you and tell you more. Please contact me via the
email address tagged here. Thanks. Andrew Walton –
adash1walton@mac.com
We who eat meat and veggies are called OMNIVORES. Omnivores. Though I tend to be more carnivorous. I've had rattlesnake meat before and it's like shrimp and chicken together, weird, I know, that's what it tastes like. I'm all for not killing any animal needlessly. Farm raised animals are best for commercial use of many animals. Most labs wound not kill the snakes for the venom, really. You'd need to have a more stable supply of anti-venom around. To catch and kill after getting the venom out of the snakes doesn't make sense at all. It would be more humane to catch and take venom from the snakes and return them back to the wild where they catch them in the first place. Now that makes sense ;).
FSB on 2008-08-31
PS - I guess that the distinction for me lies between whether one eats herbivores or carnivores. By and large, herbivores are more commonly "prey" items than carnivores. You are what you eat! And I prefer an herbivorous (as opposed to "vegetarian") diet. Just my own opinion...
FSB on 2008-08-31
Sorry, but I just can't "stomach" he idea of eating any kind of reptile or amphibian: snake, turtle, iguana, croc or alligator, or even frogs' legs. It just grosses me out on a visceral level that can't be explained. There is no conscious rationale for this, it's entirely subjective and beyond my control. I don't even like lobster! But I love shrimp, most fish, fried chicken, hamburger or a good steak.
But, as long as reptiles are farmed for food purposes, I have no problems with it. Far be it from me to tell others what they "should" eat.
Daviewonder on 2008-08-31
I myself am a vegetarian, and therefore disagree with any animal being eaten, other than in a potentially life threataning situation (starvation for example). However, I think its is extremley hypocritical for thoes who eat meat on a regular basis, to say they would never eat any type of reptile, or indeed a monkey or wild dog. If you are comfortable with eating meat, there should no complaints when a snake, or any other animal is killed for its meat (unless it is a endangered species.)
To conclude, I personally feel that eating any animal simply becasue you enjoy the taste of its flesh is morally wrong, but have nothing against people who eat meat. I agree with 'Charlie0' entirley on this matter.
David
NovenomSEAsia on 2008-08-31
Eating snake is a novelty for most westerners. They think its funny to say they have eaten it and it tastes like chicken. Hilarious. Here in SE Asia some eat it most likely out of necessity/opportunity, as the portion of the population who do it are generally very poor and uneducated. They will also eat other types of reptile including monitor lizard and geckos. I personally will not eat reptiles of any type, and for the impoverished I can see the need to eat any nutritious food available, but cannot condone eating it out of the novelty effect, or to attempt to be brave and funny having done it. It's different from eating venison as the deer has very few predators apart from man and needs population control. Snakes provide a great service in controlling populations of their prey, including rodents, and are a vital part of their ecosystem. Removing them doesn't improve the health of their environment, removing deer does. In this way it is very different from eating deer. Farming of reptiles for meat I would be willing to consider, as long as wild populations were untouched and there is a real market for reptile meat, which I doubt. This is my fairly informed opinion, at least.
Cro on 2008-08-28
I have taught Wilderness Survival classes where the students were allowed to capture and eat just about any wild food they found.
They managed to capture a copperhead and it was cooked for food, and eaten. It was a good learning experience for the students, and was in an area where copperheads were common. In that case, the educational value was justified.
I personally will not kill a snake for food, however, I do not mind picking up large, still squirming rattlesnakes from the road, after some yahoo has hit them, and throwing them into the cooler, and salvaging the meat and skin. The skin can be used in educational talks, and the meat, if cooked correctly, is not bad eating. Not great, but not bad.
Best Regards John Z
CharlieO on 2008-08-27
I'm sure some will be offended by this, so apologies from the beginning, but morally I don't see any difference between eating snake and eating any other animal. As long as the snake isn't an endangered species (I know many are), how is this different than a deer hunter bringing home venison? It seems like (please correct me if I'm wrong) there has been at least some commercial snake farming in the US within the last 30 years or so... I can't see that this would be any different than farming cattle or pigs for meat (commercial viability aside).
Page 1
Enter your opinion about Snakes as Food?:
The opinions expressed within VenomousReptiles.org Speak Out are those of the
contributor, and not necessarily that of VenomousReptiles.org. VenomousReptiles.org
simply provides a forum for people to express their opinions on
various venomous reptiles subjects of interest.
Do you have an idea for a Speak Out topic?
Email our Speak Out Manager
with your ideas.
