La chasse/pêche aux Batraciens : aux origines de la vie des populations du bassin du lac tchad ? (L'exemple du diamaré, cameroun)

Abstract

Frog hunting: back to the origins of life in the lake Chad basin? (The case of Diamare, North Cameroon).The lake Chad basin has always been nothing more than a huge swamp. Along its margins, a whole system of marshes and temporary ponds loosely connected to each other allowed a substantial batrachofauna to develop, providing a staple diet for the people living on its banks. The hunters of frogs (mostly digging species) in Diamare (North Cameroon) are now regarded as the last heirs of a long-standing tradition. Is it thus possible that their hunting techniques, conditioning procedure and recipes go back to immemorial times? Nowadays, the alimentary customs turns out to depend more and more on religious principles which tend to set aside both hunters and frog consumers.