Yummo!
They go for bear claws – real ones, not pastry – in China, but I cannot remember if they’re a delicacy or ground into Chinese medicine. Because of the large Chinese population in Thailand, there are occasional busts of illegal-anilmal dealers, and I’ve seen photos of the claws piled up.
Pangolins, too. Also called scaly anteaters. From that link: “Pangolins are also in great demand in China because their meat is considered a delicacy and some Chinese believe pangolin scales reduce swelling, promote blood circulation and help breast-feeding women produce milk. This, coupled with deforestation, has led to a large decrease in the numbers of Giant Pangolins.”
Pangolins get rounded up in Malaysia and transported overland to China, still alive apparently, because frequently the smugglers are caught in Thailand with them. Pangolins are cute little guys.
According to Jared Diamond author of Guns, Germs, and Steel lion meat is quite tasty.
Marc
Ortolan, I think.
As Struan says, the bunting eaten whole (with a napkin draped over the eater’s head) is the ortolan.
Jeremy Clarkson shows how it’s done, and it is indeed a bizarre ritual.
I can’t find the thread using Search, but ISTR that a member of this very board ate an ortolan a while back, and gave a fascinating description of the experience in a post a couple of years ago.
I don’t know about chilled, but Cecil has this to say. I’ve never heard of it occurring in Southeast Asia myself, reports to the contrary notwithstanding.
I have eaten jellyfish at a Korean restaurant in Honolulu and a Chinese restaurant in Bangkok. Not uncommon. I do not like it, though.
There’s a resturant in Schaumburg IL called Pappadeaux that serves fried gator bites as an appitizer. And they’re wonderful.
Found on a site selling tadpoles and other critters:
Try as I might (okay, I didn’t really try very hard), I could not find a recipe.
Did you have peanut butter fish with it?
Regards,
Shodan
It would have to be the latter if they were the claws as distinct from the paws. I’m sure there’s no way to make the claws edible.
OTOH, there’s no bones or gristle! 
Years ago, I worked with a Dutch guy, who grew up in Occupied Holland (WWII). Starting in 1943, the Germans shipped most of the food out of the country, and left the Dutch to starve. This guy actually killed seagulls with a slingshot, and took them home to his mother, who plucked and prepared them. He told me they were awful-vile tasting and fishy smelling! Since gulls eat carrion and garbage, I’m sure eating them is not too pleasant.
The Maori of New Zealand, and I expect other Polynesians, considered the Polynesian rat or kiore a delicacy.
I tried it once when I lived in New Zealand. I wouldn’t recommend it. It tastes too much like rat. There are lots of other rodents I like better.
The Giant Pouched Rat is considered good eats in much of Africa.
As for bats, the large flying foxes are eaten in various parts of Asia and the Pacific, to such an extent that some species are now threatened by the practice.
Oh, I want. Just for the alliteration. (OK, not really… I have a soft spot for all the cats and wouldn’t eat a cheetah. But I did cook “Kangaroo & Kumara Coconut Curry” for the sound of it).
I heard of people deep-frying these spiders-how much of a spider could you eat?
Here’s a menu from a restaurant in Saint Petersburg where I ate. The menu changes with the season, so you can’t count on having beaver or racoon every time. Sadly, they had no moose or squirrel when I was there, but I enjoyed hearing the waiter tell me “No moose or squirrel.”. I had the bear, which I had enjoyed in the US. I think someone I was with had puma, or cougar, some kind of carnivorous cat species. I sampled it, and it was pretty good, as was the wild boar. The beaver would have been an acquired taste I think, I tried some as an appetizer, but wasn’t enthusiastic about it.
Was it hairy beaver, or had it been shaved?
Fried tarantula is a very popular snack in Cambodia.
I’ve eaten silkworms and scorpions in China. Did not like the silkworms, but scorpions ae surprisingly good. At least, the little ones.
Northeastern Thais eat a variety of insects, and since most bargirls tend to come from the Northeast, there are bug snack carts set up in the main bar areas. Something to think about the next time you want to give your newfound honey a big wet kiss.
Kiwi are only rare because of imported rats, cats and stoats. The kiwi was valued not only for it’s meat, but also the feathers, which were made into highly prized cloaks.
Maori also hunted the Moa to extinction and ate Huhu grubs, and these are making a comeback in a few wild food festivals. It’s becoming increasingly rare to find someone who hasn’t eaten them (me!). New Zealand has a temperate climate, not tropical, they couldn’t afford to reject a source of protein.