Mrs. Nguyen Thi No in An Giang is the only woman in the southwestern region who built herself cages to raise nearly 1,000 rat snakes. No provides both breeding snakes and snakes for meat, earning more than VND400 million ($20,000) a year. Currently the price for 1kg of rat snake is VND700,000 ($35).

Mr. Phan Chien Hai in Thoi Xuyen hamlet, Thoi Dong district, Can Tho City owns more than 300 rat snakes. He was bitten by snakes very often. Sometimes he had to see doctor to get snake teeth out. Rat snakes are not venomous.

Taking advantage of the home garden, Mr. Chau Soc Kim and his wife in Tri Ton district, An Giang province raise 200 rat snakes in the semi-wild model. On average, each year they harvested once, earning profit of over VND 40 million ($2,000).

Meanwhile, Mr. Phan Thanh Tuyen, Vice Chair of Thoi Dong commune, Co Do district, Can Tho city breeds bocourt’s water snakes in jars. His breeding snakes include 70 percent of female and 30 percent of male snakes. On average, each breeding snake here weighs from 1.8 to 3kg. Total income from selling breeding and meat snake is nearly VND50 million ($2,500).

Mr. Thai Vinh Thai in Tri Ton district, An Giang province, earns annual income of VND800 million ($40,000) from his python farm, with more than 1,000 pythons.

Mr. Vo Van Luom in Khanh An commune, An Phu district, An Giang province is raising 500 crocodiles. He says this animal yields high profit but they are very dangerous. Their feed must be raw meat and the cage must be checked regularly. Average income from this herd of crocodiles is about VND200 million ($10,000) per year.

In previous years, raising mice was very popular in An Giang, Dong Thap and Can Tho but it is banned now.

In Ha Tien, Kien Giang province, Mrs. NTT raises about 10 sea turtles in a lake. This is endangered species. This woman bought sea turtles from fishermen who caught the endangered turtles from Cambodia.

Salamanders are also a specialty strongly consumed in restaurants and hotels. Many salamander breeding farms have been formed in Bay Nui, Tinh Bien, An Giang province. The price for one kilo of salamander is VND600,000-VND650000 ($30-32).

Ms. Pham Thi Le in Thoi Binh, Phuoc Thoi ward, O Mon district, Can Tho City raises skinks. The price per one kilo of skinks is VND300,000 ($15). Le’s farm with 2,000 skinks cannot meet the needs of customers.

Geckos are not used as food but also medicine to cure many diseases in the southwestern region. With prices ranging from VNd300,000 to VND400,000 per kilo, every year farmer LVB in Tinh Bien, An Giang province earns hundreds of millions dong from gecko farming in home gardens.

Alcohol soaked with geckos and termite queens is priced VND200,000 - VND500,000 ($10-25) per liter. This kind of wine is sold at the Tinh Bien border gate in An Giang.

Mr. NVP in Tri Ton, An Giang not only breeds but also collects tortoises. He breeds nearly 100 turtoises of all species, including endangered ones.

Freshwater dolphins are also specialties at the restaurants in the southwestern region. Mr. Bui Chi Linh, Vinh Phu hamlet, Vinh Hoi Dong commune, An Phu district, An Giang province sells about 1 ton of fresh dolphins a year. The price for 1kg (about 18-22 fish) is from VND300,000-VND450,000 ($15-23).

Mr. Sa Le in Vinh Hanh commune, Chau Thanh district, An Giang is more interested in breeding teals. He now owns 400 teals. One-year teals reach an average weight of 300 grams. The price of 1kg of teals is VND250,000-VND300,000. Sa earns VND150 million ($7,500) of profit a year.