A relação e os acidentes com serpentes em comunidades quilombolas no semiárido brasileiro

Abstract

The relationship between humans and reptiles, especially snakes, is most often conflictive. In the Brazilian semiarid region, in quilombo communities surrounding the Serra do Giz Wildlife Refuge, the inhabitants live in close contact with the local fauna. Understanding the relationship between humans and snakes is essential so that conservation actions directed to these animals can be carried out. Therefore, this study investigated the relationship and perception that community dwellers have about snakes, as well as the procedures adopted in case of accidents with poisonous snakes. Fifty-five informants were interviewed through semi-structured forms, complemented by free interviews and informal conversations. There is a conflicting relationship between the inhabitants of the quilombo communities and snakes, which are seen as dangerous and cause of fear, which ends up leading most people to kill the animals during an encounter. Also, accidents involving snakes and humans are common in the communities, as are accidents involving snakes and domestic animals. In the case of accidents with humans and snakes, instead of seeking medical attention as recommended by the public health service, it is common for the victims to adopt procedures to treat the poisoning and its symptoms, learned through experience or transmitted most of the time by older people. Some procedures may be beneficial, others may worsen the patient's condition, and others have no scientific confirmation that they are beneficial or harmful. The existence of this conflict with snakes, however, does not justify the extermination of these animals, which brings enormous environmental damage since snakes have an important role in the ecological balance. Fear, ignorance, and the inability to correctly identify a poisonous snake need to be addressed through public policies of environmental education which teach that not all of the snakes pose as a risk of accidents and that they need to be preserved, as well as public policies and projects for accidents prevention and safety during work on farms or in activities near the forest. Ethnozoological studies should be encouraged because they are important tools for designing actions and strategies for animal conservation and recording traditional knowledge.