Reminded me of this:

Bezos had ordered a dish called Tom’s Big Breakfast, a preparation of Mediterranean octopus that includes potatoes, bacon, green garlic yogurt, and a poached egg. “You’re the octopus that I’m having for breakfast,” Rutledge remembers Bezos saying. “When I look at the menu, you’re the thing I don’t understand, the thing I’ve never had. I must have the breakfast octopus.” [0]

[0] https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/2014/july/...

It was my first reaction too, but when you think about it, a steak or some bacon probably wouldn't seem disturbing and these animals have way more advanced brains.

Next time you are in the Florida Keys you may give it a try. That's how they are solving the overpopulation.

I don't find it to be a big deal. Everyone in my group tried iguana in Curacao where it's illegal to hunt them. They're absolutely everywhere but you can eat the ones that are farm raised so they show up on the menu at many places.

But yeah if you have a pet iguana your perception will be vastly different. If you come from an island full of them where it's normal to eat them then you wouldn't think twice about it. If you're somewhere in the middle of that spectrum you'll either be the curious type, the snakes/lizards are gross/not for food type, or be the non-adventurous type.

I wouldn't make a habit of eating iguana or horse or other things many would consider oddities but if I'm visiting a place where it's part of their culture I'll see what it's about.

I wrote my reply before I looked at the photo and while I have a different perspective than you, I agree that the photo is gross. It's one thing to eat an iguana but another to present it that way and take a photo eating it creepily haha.

In Europe, many people eat horse steaks, snails, frog legs, and rabbits. Are these similarly disturbing?

People have pet chickens, ducks, rabbits, pigs, goats etc. and we eat all those.