ACCRA (Reuters) - Ghana's earnings from exporting pythons slid more than 40 percent in 2000 as rising exports from neighbouring states flooded the world market, forestry officials said on Wednesday.

Around 30,000 pythons, both farmed and caught in the wild, were exported, mainly to the United States and Europe, for a total of $91,000 -- down from over $160,000 taken the previous year from the sale of 33,000 of the reptiles.

"Due to exports in larger quantities by Togo and Benin, causing price fluctuation from five to between two and three dollars per python, trading did not favour Ghanaian wildlife exporters," Brian Basuglo, senior wildlife protection officer at Ghana's Forestry Commission, told Reuters.

"They are mostly used as pets and in some instances for scientific purposes. However, the larger ones are sometimes used as delicacies in restaurants," Basuglo said.

Python skins are also used for highly priced shoes, bags and belts.