Traditional knowledge of <i style="">sertanejos</i> about Zootherapeutic practices used in ethnoveterinary medicine of NE Brazil

Abstract

The present paper analyzes animal-based remedies used in ethnoveterinary medicine in a semi-arid area of Paraíba State (Caatinga biome) in NE Brazil. Information was obtained through semi-structured questionnaires applied to 32 local residents (24 men and 8 women) concerning animal species used as remedies, the body parts used, and the illnesses for which these remedies were prescribed. It is recorded the use of 13 animal species (of which 7 were non-domestic) recommended for treating 18 illnesses. Ram (<i style="">Ovis aries</i> Linnaeus, 1758), rattlesnakes (<i style="">Crotalus durissus</i> Linnaeus, 1758), and “teju” lizards (Tupinambis merianae (Duméril & Bibron, 1839)) were important medicinal resources for the community studied. The examination of folk knowledge and animal health practices gives us a better understanding of human interactions with their local environment and aids in formulating appropriate strategies for natural resource conservation.