Weekly roundup

A quick review of what we have this week:

A study has identified pythons as an alternative meat source, there is a way for everyone to nominate community members, and RGI is working on more shed tests and needs our help.

Science and Around the World

Pythons as food?

I have a feeling that most people have some sort of recoil response to the idea, especially since we are so removed from our food sources in the West.

The hard facts, though, are that our current system is largely unsustainable. Over the last decade, the search for alternatives to meat sources has been ramping up.

A study published in Scientific Reports explored Python farming in Asia and found that ectotherms make fantastic alternatives to other farmed species.

When you think about it, it kind of makes sense: pythons are lean animals that grow quickly and have extremely efficient digestive systems.

You can read the original study here or if you want a synopsis, Popular Science has a good one:

Regardless of your opinion on the matter, it is a fascinating subject!

Community spotlight

Hobby and Industry News

Big things from RGI!

RGI (Rare Genetics Inc.) has had some major news this week. First, they are expanding their shed testing and has asked for tests with known genetics from several species. I am excited about the Hognose shed tests in particular!

They let me know they will take some Carpet sheds also, so I am going to start sending them in too.

They have some details in this post or you can hit the link above for their site.

Then, just a day or two later, they announced that they have now sequenced the Monsoon gene (Ball Pythons) and it is available immediately!

They talk about it on this really great video:

I have a few animals I plan to get tested for Monsoon specifically. I’ll probably just do panels, though, since they have some other possible genes.

If you aren’t familiar with shed testing, it's worth exploring.

Reasons it’s a good idea for the hobby:

1. Less time and money spent on a project since proving Pos Hets isn't necessary

2. Fewer animals are produced that might end up as “excess” (this is a whole other topic, but valid regardless of our individual opinions)

3. A better understanding of genetics in general, from how specific genes interact to understanding issues brought on by certain complexes

From MHI

Just working on getting consistent with IG and this newsletter. I am going to start getting all my animals into Morph Market and experiment with my care tracking on there rather than just a spreadsheet.

Has anyone else tried it yet?

Thank you to those who have supported me up to this point and are here to read the newsletter!

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That’s it for this week!

I have big plans for this newsletter and the community! 💛

First things first, though: consistency, building up some readers, and getting feedback on what you all want to see each week. Don’t forget to share this with someone you think would enjoy it!

Cheers,

Will