A BUTCHER is selling bush tucker over the counter, including crocodile, zebra and rattlesnake.

Frogs legs, snails and crocodile tails are some of the weird and wonderful meats making stomach's rumble at Russell's Butchers in Warndon, Worcester.

Ostrich, camel, wildebeest, kangaroo, springbok, bison and wild boar were also on show at a Bush Tucker Challenge at the shop in Cranham Drive yesterday.

Jason Cave, aged 35, manager of the business, has sampled the wild boar but has yet to try the others.

He said: "We're always looking for something that sets us apart from the supermarkets and you would be hard-pushed to find rattlesnake in Tesco or Sainsbury.

Some people express an interest in it but aren't confident enough to take it home. They say I don't know if the wife will have that'." Staff believe it may be the first time such a range of meats from all over the world have been stocked in a Worcester butchers.

The meat comes from Australia, Africa, Europe and from every corner of the British Isles. Prices vary from £45 a pound for rattlesnake and £35 per pound for crocodile to £9.99 for an eight-ounce pack of zebra or camel steaks.

Seb Dayus, aged 38, from Langdale Drive, Warndon, Worcester, was persuaded to buy some camel steaks but confessed she would have tried crocodile if it was not so expensive.

She said: "I have always wanted to try crocodile. I have already tried snails. I'm just an adventurous person. When I first saw the rattlesnake I thought it was an eel."

For the less adventurous the store also stocks ham, beef, lamb, poultry, home-cured bacon and gluten-free burgers and sausages.

See comment in OPINION

What are these meats like, and who eats them?Crocodile : The meat is said to taste like a cross between fish and chicken. If well trimmed, crocodile is low in fat, low in calories and high in protein. Crocodile should be cooked slowly on a low heat or it will toughen. It is best served as rare as possible. Crocodile can be fried, grilled, barbecued or stewed. There is still a small market for the meat but demand is spreading.Rattle Snake: Spicy Rattlesnake Pasta is popular in the United States and includes garlic cloves, tomatoes, dried hot red chilies, minced, oregano dried basil, black pepper, salt, pasta and rattlesnake meat. Rattlesnake meat is light and chewy, with a delicate flavour that resembles chicken. Rattlesnake chili is a favourite dish at a number of restaurants in the Southwestern US.Camel: Bedouin, Arab nomads, are fond of camel. One of their dishes, which feeds up to 100 people, involves a whole camel, a whole lamb, 20 chickens, medium, 60 eggs, rice, pine nuts, almonds, pistachio nuts and pepper. The other meats are served stuffed inside the camel. The meat has been recorded by ancient Greek writers as an available dish in ancient Persia at banquets, usually roasted whole.Wild Boar: Boar meat is lean and should be cooked slowly at lower temperatures than other meats. For chops, bake with a sauce for best results or pan-fry at a medium heat. Always check frequently so as not to overcook. Wild boar is also excellent barbecued and makes good sausages. In Britain wild boar was the sport and food of the noble classes until they hunted it to extinction 300 years ago.Kangaroo:The meat is tender for a game meat but should be served fairly rare. Prime cuts can also be cooked on the barbecue or included in stir fry dishes. No matter how you cook it, kangaroo should not be well done and is better medium rare. Kangaroo meat is popular in Germany, France and Belgium. Russians have a taste for sausages, but Australia's enthusiasm has always been lukewarm.