Herpetological Conservation and Biology 8(3):652−666. HSuebrpmeittotelodg: i1c6a lM Caoyn s2e0r1v3at;i Aonc caenpdt eBdi:o 2lo5g Oy ctober 2013; Published: 31 December 2013. Hunting of Herpetofauna in Montane , C oastal , and dryland areas of nortHeastern Brazil . Hugo Fernandes -F erreira 1,3 , s anjay Veiga Mendonça 2, r ono LiMa Cruz 3, d iVa Maria Borges -n ojosa 3, and rôMuLo roMeu nóBrega aLVes 4 1Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Postal Code 58051-900, João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil, e-mail: [email protected] 2Universidade Estadual do Ceará, Departamento de Ciências Veterinárias, Postal Code 60120-013, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil 3Universidade Federal do Ceará, Núcleo Regional de Ofiologia da UFC (NUROF-UFC), Departamento de Biologia, Postal Code 60455-760, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil 4Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Departamento de Biologia, Postal Code 58109753, Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil abstract.— relationships between humans and animals have played important roles in all regions of the world and herpetofauna have important links to the cultures of many ethnic groups. Many societies around the world use these animals for a variety of purposes, such as food and medicinal use. Within this context, we examined hunting activities involving the herpetofauna in montane, dryland, and coastal areas of Ceará state, northeastern Brazil. We analyzed the diversity of species captured, how each species was used, the capture techniques employed, and the conservation implications of these activities on populations of those animals. We documented six hunting techniques and identified twenty-six species utilized (including five species threatened with extinction) belonging to 15 families as important for food (21 spp.), folk medicine (18 spp.), magic-religious purposes (1 sp.), and other uses (9 spp.). although the highest species richness utilized was observed in the montane region, the herpetofauna was more intensively utilized in the drylands. these results reflect biological, historical, cultural, and social-economic issues. Key Words. —Atlantic Forest, Brazil, Caatinga, ethnozoology, ethnoherpetology. introduCtion that offer risks to humans or domestic animals (Alves et al. 2010, 2012c; Fernandes-Ferreira et The relationships between humans and animals al. 2011). have been important in all the regions of the While some of human society looks upon world since the very dawn of humanity (Alves, herpetofauna negatively, many cultures around 2009; Alves et al. 2010). Reptiles and the world use these animals for various purposes amphibians have strong interactions with (Willcox and Nambu 2007; Soewu 2008; Alves humans (Klemens and Thorbjarnarson 1995; et al. 2008, 2012b). At least 744 species of Gibbons et al. 2000) and have important links to reptiles occur in Brazil (Bérnils, R.S., and H.C. the cultures of many ethnic groups; they Costa. 2012. Répteis brasileiros: Lista de represent mythical and legendary animals seen espécies. Version 2012.1. Available from to have positive as well as evil attributes. http://www.sbherpetologia.org.br . [Accessed 22 Snakes, for example, are one of the animals most August 2013]), and at least 11% of these (n = 81 commonly associated with stories, legends, species) are utilized by human populations or myths, fables, and beliefs (Vizotto 2003). killed because of real or imagined conflicting Perhaps more than any other type of animal, relationships with people (Alves et al. 2012c). snakes provoke the human imagination to the Medicinal uses of herpetofauna have been most varied range of sentiments and perceptions recorded in many parts of the world in (Oliver 1958; Morris and Morris 1965; Greene association with the treatment of several 1997; Andreu 2000; Vizotto 2003). different diseases and maladies (Daly et al. 1992; It is extremely common to hear people Alves et al. 2008, 2012c). In their review of the throughout the world expressing sentiments of utilization of herpetofauna for therapeutic aversion and repulsion related to herpetofauna. purposes throughout the world, Alves et al. These perceptions, from simple avoidance to (2013) reported that at least 331 species (284 severe phobias, are expressed in every region of reptiles and 47 amphibians) are used in the world (Smith and Davidson 2007). Negative traditional folk medicine. Among these species, perceptions about the herpetofauna represent one 182 reptiles and 42 amphibians are listed on the of the principal motivations for killing IUCN Red List (IUCN – International Union for individuals of these groups (e.g., snakes and Conservation of Nature. 2013. Red List of crocodiles) under the guise of controlling species Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. Available Copyright © 2013. Hugo Fernandes-Ferreira. All Rights Reserved. 652 Fernandes-Ferreira et al.—Hunting herpetofauna in Brazil. from http://www.iucnredlist.org [Accessed 11 Marques 2008; Alves et al. 2012c). August 2013]). In Brazil, 54 reptiles (Alves et It is important to note that in spite of the al. 2012c) and five amphibians (Costa-Neto and intense utilization of herpetofauna by humans, Alves 2010) are known to be used for therapeutic very little information is currently available purposes in several human communities, about the impacts of these human uses on the corresponding to more than 15% of the total species involved (e.g., Gibbons et al. 1995; number of animals used for medicinal purposes Fitzgerald et al. 2004; Klemens and in the country. This use of the herpetofauna is Thorbjanarson 2005). Despite this, the effects of significant cultural importance in many rural may be great. For example, Gibbons et al. communities in northeastern Brazil (Moura and (2000) observed that the subsistence Marques 2008; Alves et al. 2012c). consumption of reptiles is one of the principal Similarly, there has been a long history of the factors responsible for the declines seen in many subsistence consumption of these animals as species in the world. food, particularly in tropical regions, and this is Within this context, the present study still very common in many traditional and rural examined hunting activities involving the communities throughout the world (Klemens herpetofauna in rural areas of dryland, montane, and Thorbjarnarson 1995; Peres 2000; Fitzgerald and coastal human communities in Northeastern et al. 2004; Altrichter 2005). In Brazil, at least Brazil. We examined the diversity of species 38 reptile species are consumed as food (Alves used, how each species was used, the capture et al. 2012c) and, as can be seen in other techniques employed, and the conservation countries (see Klemens and Thorbjarnarson implications of these activities. 1995), there is considerable variation in the preferences of these human communities for Materials and MetHods chelonians, caimans, lizards, and snakes. In addition to medicinal and food purposes, study areas.— We undertook the present study herpetofauna are used in other ways. For in 16 human communities from nine example, these animals are also used in municipalities in three different regions of Ceará magic/religious practices, in commercial State, Northeastern Brazil: in a montane area, in markets, as ornaments, and pets (Rumiz and the interior dryland zone, and along the coast Maglianesi 2001; Altrichter 2005; Moura and (Fig. 1). figure 1. Map showing the surveyed communities in the Ceará State, Brazil (1: 7.000.000). A: montane region; B: dryland region; C: coastal region; 1: Pacoti; 2: Guaramiranga; 3: Mulungu; 4: Aratuba; 5: Tururu; 6: Itapagé; 7: Irauçuba; 8: Cumbuco Beach, Caucaia; 9: Lagoa do Barro, Caucaia; 10: Taíba Beach, São Gonçalo do Amarante. 653 Herpetological Conservation and Biology We visited nine localities in a montane region typical of the coastal plains; it is bordered by the in the municipalities of Aratuba (4°24’48.85”S, vegetation complex growing on the pre-coastal 38°03’19”W; 920 m high), Pacoti (4°13’14”S, plains on sediments (FIPC 1989; IBGE – 38°55’30”W; 995 m high), Guaramiranga Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística. (4°16’17”S, 38°55’56”W; 976 m high), and 2013. Cidades do Ceará. Available from Mulungu (4°18’12”S, 38°59’33”W; 915 m high) http://cidades.ibge.gov.br/xtras/uf.php?lang=&c within the Baturité Range, the largest and most oduf=23&search=ceara [Accessed 06 August representative residual basaltic formation in 2013.]). Most interviewees in this region have Ceará (Mantovani 2007). This region is included low income and their families have economic in a state-run Environmental Protection Area that activity mainly related to trade fishing and still holds remnants of the Atlantic Forest biome tourism. and humid forest areas with the highest biological richness in the state and that has an ethnozoological data collection.— In each important role in the preservation of regional community, we interviewed local residents that biodiversity and in the maintenance of water interacted in any manner with wild herpetofauna resources in this otherwise arid state. This area (e.g., hunters, farmers, woodsmen) between exhibits significant climatic heterogeneity in 2008 and 2010. We selected the informants humidity depending on its exposure to coastal based on this sample utilizing the “snowball ” weather systems and altitudinal variations technique (Bailey 1994). We interviewed a total (Mantovani 2007). Each of the sites studied has of 170 “local specialists” (30 in coastal, 30 in around 54 homes and is characterized by dryland region, and 110 in mountain region), relatively