Title
Widespread Use of Traditional Techniques by Local People for Hunting the Yellow-Footed Tortoise (Chelonoidis denticulatus) across the Amazon
Date Issued
01 July 2020
Access level
metadata only access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Tavares A.S.
Loureiro L.F.
Gilmore M.P.
Bowler M.
Lemos L.P.
Svensson M.S.
Nekaris K.A.I.
Nijman V.
Valsecchi J.
Morcatty T.Q.
Museo de Culturas Indígenas Amazónicas
Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana (IIAP)
Publisher(s)
Society of Ethnobiology
Abstract
Understanding the repertoire of hunting techniques used by traditional peoples in tropical forests is crucial for recognizing the role of traditional knowledge in hunting activities, as well as assessing the impact of harvests on game species. We describe the hunting techniques used across Amazonia by Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples for hunting yellow-footed tortoises (Chelonoidis denticulatus), one of the most consumed species in the biome. We interviewed 178 local people in 25 communities living in seven study areas in the Peruvian and Brazilian Amazon. We used a Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA) and Analysis of Similarity (ANOSIM) to compare the hunting techniques between ethnic groups and the ages of the interviewees. Four different techniques were reported: (1) trapping with bait (46%; n = 122); (2) hunting with dogs (35%; n = 92); (3) active searching (14 %; n = 37); and (4) visiting fruiting trees (5%; n = 14). Trapping with bait was alleged to be the most cost-effective technique by 67% of the interviewees. Among the baits used, 93% involved the use of wild species as rotten meat. Hunting with dogs was also frequently cited and involved eight different methods of training. The hunting techniques recorded were not significantly different among ethnic groups or generations. The consonance among the technique repertoire likely reflects a shared knowledge still in use across different cultural groups. There is a potential for applying the hunting techniques to large scale community-based monitoring and management programs, but the impact on additional species affected, such as species intentionally captured to be used as bait, should be considered. Local assessments and community-based management plans that incorporate traditional ecological knowledge are recommended to guarantee the maintenance of livelihoods and ensure the species' conservation in Amazonia.
Start page
268
End page
280
Volume
40
Issue
2
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Zoología, Ornitología, Entomología, ciencias biológicas del comportamiento
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85093095682
Source
Journal of Ethnobiology
ISSN of the container
02780771
Sponsor(s)
support (300346/2013-1, 312729/2015-4, 301059/2020-9, 302143/2020-3), and the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Insti tute (IDSM) for logistical support. We thank H. R. El Bizri for useful comments to the manuscript. We thank the inhabitants from all study areas for sharing their traditional knowledge and participating in this research. T. Q. Morcatty is supported by the WCS Graduate Scholarship Program, a program of the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Christensen Conservation Leaders Scholarship, and by the Wildlife Conservation Network Scholarship Program through the Sidney Byers Scholarship award. We thank the Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Inovação (CNPq) and the Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia, Inovação e Comunicação (MCTIC) for financial
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus