Knowledge and use of wildlife in the community of Tetelpa, municipality of Zacatepec, Morelos, Mexico

Abstract

The objective of the present investigation was to document and analyze the traditional knowledge of the native fauna in the community of Tetelpa, municipality of Zacatepec, Morelos. Diverse ethnozoological techniques, such as snowball sampling, were applied; 50 semi-structured interviews were carried out as well as guided tours to determine the known animal species by the community. The local informants recognize 37 species of wild vertebrates, 43% are birds, 30% mammals, 22% reptiles, and 5% amphibian. From these, 41% (n=15.17) have alimentary value, (11) medicinal value, (7) as pets (5) and ornamental (4). As shown by the index of use value, the most used species by the inhabitants is the rabbit Sylvilagus cunicularius (0.84). In three zones the most important capture strategy involved the use of firearms such as the shotgun in the “monte”. 35% (14.0) of the species are considered harmful and interferes with the agriculture of the inhabitants and animal husbandry activities. When asked about the state of conservation of the native fauna, 92% of the informants reported that there is a decrease in the populations of the species due to deforestation and commercial hunting. We conclude that the inhabitants of the community of Tetelpa have and preserve traditional knowledge relative to the native fauna that enables them to profit from it so as to satisfy their alimentary and health needs.