The Practicality of Eating Lizards for Survival
Lizards are commonplace in many parts of the country, and this makes them an attractive choice for a nice survival meal. Most species are not poisonous, and they also tend to have lean, nutrient-rich meat. However, there are a number of reasons why they may not be the most-ideal choice as well. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of lizard, and you can decide for yourself whether or not they are worth catching and preparing.
Lizards are Small
The majority of meat from lizards will be found in their legs, arms and in some pockets along their core. Consequently, you won’t get a lot of meat since most lizards are small, and you will also need to catch quite a few in order to produce a decent serving. In terms of efficiency, you will probably end up spending more time and energy trying to catch and prepare lizards than you will get back from caloric intake. This is important to consider because we should be focusing our efforts on prey that will give us a better return on our energy investment.
Lizards are Difficult to Catch
Unless you know how to build and set lizard traps that really work (it’s a lot easier said than done), chances are you will be spending a lot of time trying to spear them instead. You can easily spend hours before catching a handful of these fast, skittish and elusive reptiles, and the payoff may not be worth the effort. On the other hand, lizards tend to be less-active in the cool, early morning hours, which means that your chances of success increase, especially if you find an area that has a large population to hunt.
Lizard Meat is Full of Pathogens
Lizard meat is full of nasty microorganisms, including a number of parasites and bacteria that can cause foodborne illnesses. Additionally, improperly-handling the carcasses or raw meat can lead to cross contamination. Unless you are able to safely-prepare the meat and cook it thoroughly, the potential risks will outweigh many of the rewards that you hope to enjoy.
How do they Taste?
Some people claim that lizard tastes like chicken whereas others describe it as having more of a fishy-flavor. Maybe their taste depends more on the species, what they eat or where they are found. Many lizards are pure vegetarians whereas others feed on insects and other small critters. In any case, while larger lizards such as the monitor and iguana are considered to be delicacies in certain parts of the world, chances are that the lizards you catch and cook will be far from appetizing. However, during a survival situation, you may not be as picky as you are under normal circumstances.
Keep in mind that there is nothing inherently-wrong with eating lizard. However, chances are that you will have other options available, including larger reptiles such as snakes, turtles or frogs to choose from in areas where lizards are present. Consequently, you may be better-off trying to hunt and trap some of these meatier alternatives since the payoff will be greater when all is said and done.
