We humans wouldn’t be anywhere near where we are today if we didn’t have animals. Throughout history, we’ve relied on byproducts from animals to help us survive, and even advance our civilization. But this also means not all byproducts are equal.
Animal Byproducts
Some animal byproducts, like eggs, could be part of a million-dollar industry, but they themselves cost the consumer very little. There are other rarer and harder-to-get animal byproducts that can be worth more than pearls.
How Much Do Pearls Go For?
The price of pearls typically starts around $1,500 for lower-quality strands, while high-quality strands can fetch upwards of $30,000 or more, especially for rare types. With this in mind, these other byproducts from animals are worth most pearls, or at least the cheapest ones.
Ambergris
Ambergris might be the most disgusting animal byproduct on this list, yet somehow it can be worth over $50,000 per pound. The Ambergris is a byproduct thought to help wales pass particularly difficult food. It used to be used in perfumes and aromatics.
Antivenom
Unlike the last byproduct on the list, more or less everyone knows what antivenom is. Well it’s a lifesaving product of whichever species of snake bit the victim in question, it’s not cheap and can cost upwards of $3,000 per vial.
Horseshoe Crab Blood
Horseshoe crabs are some of the weirdest-looking animals that are still alive on the planet. Their evolution has stayed the same for over 400 million years. To think they couldn’t get any more unique. They have unique blood that can help in the production of vaccines and other medicines. Horseshoe crab blood can cost around $60,000 for just a gallon of the stuff.
Ivory
Ivory is notorious for its unethical history of being sourced from animals like elephants and rhinos. Ivory used to be used in many products, including piano keys, buttons and billiard balls. Today, ivory is worth around $1,500 per pound, but its sale if strictly regulated.
Scorpion Venom
Scorpion venom isn’t something most people think would be an expensive product, but on the contrary, it’s one of the most expensive animal byproducts in the world. Because of how little venom a scorpion can produce at a time (7 ounces), a gallon of the stuff will set you back an incredible $39 million!
Almas Caviar
Caviar is a dish that most people know well enough about. Real caviar isn’t cheap and is normally used to top off already expensive dishes. But the real expensive caviar is almas caviar. Because it comes from an endangered sturgeon that lives in the Caspian
Cone Snail Venom
This venom can be worth up to $924 million per kilogram. It contains compounds being studied for use in developing powerful painkillers that could be more effective than morphine.
Seagull Guano
Harvested as a natural fertilizer, it can generate around $12.2 million from 27,000 tons. Its high nutrient content makes it valuable for agricultural purposes.
Bear Bile
Used in traditional medicine, particularly in Asia, bear bile can fetch prices between $20,000 to $30,000 per liter due to its purported health benefits.
Civet Oil
Extracted from the glands of civet cats, this oil can sell for about $600 per pound and is also used in perfumery for its musky fragrance. Although it’s not as valuable as the most expensive pearls, it still beats the cheapest ones.
Source:
From Whale Vomit to Seagull Poop: 10 Most Expensive Animal Substances in the World
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