Pythons could soon be on your plate.
Snakes could become part of a person's diet
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."